'Skrtel fine'

Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel was "fine" after he was stretchered off during his side's 0-0 English FA Cup quarter-final draw with Blackburn Rovers last Sunday, manager Brendan Rodgers said.

The Slovakia centre-back was left flat on his back after a third-minute aerial collision with Rudy Gestede at Anfield and required eight minutes of treatment before being taken off on a stretcher, with Kolo Toure coming on.

Rodgers revealed afterwards that Skrtel had been taken to hospital for a check-up, but played down concerns about his health and said that he could even have played on.

"Martin Skrtel is fine," Rodgers said. "He could have played on, but you have to listen to the medical team and the experts and he is fine in the changing room. He fell heavily so there was a feeling he could have been knocked out or concussed, but I'll leave that to the medical experts." — PA