Rafael Benitez made it clear after Liverpool's 0-0 draw away to PSV Eindhoven in their opening Champions League Group C match that not even Steven Gerrard can be certain of a place in the side.

The Liverpool boss is imposing a rigid equality over his expensively assembled squad, and what happened to Craig Bellamy at the weekend - left at home watching the Merseyside derby on television - could just as easily happen to Gerrard.

The Anfield skipper was one of six players axed from the side that lost the Mersey derby to Everton on Saturday, and Benitez explained: 'Steven was on the bench as were several other senior players, Xabi Alonso, Peter Crouch, Sami Hyypia, but people only mention Gerrard.

'We must accept that nobody can play at 100% for every match, it was a very difficult game against Everton and you can see that the players who were involved for all that game were on the bench.

'If you are not 100% fit and ready then you will be rested like that. It will happen to different players.' "