Kenny Dalglish claims FA Cup semi-final won’t overshadow league clash

LIVERPOOL manager Kenny Dalglish is confident his players will be fully focused on facing Blackburn tonight and not have one eye on their weekend FA Cup semi-final derby against Everton.

An appalling run of league form since booking their Wembley appearance last month has led critics to claim that Dalglish’s men are now only interested in the cup.

After overcoming Stoke in the quarter-finals Liverpool lost three successive matches to QPR, Wigan and Newcastle before salvaging a late draw at home to Aston Villa on Saturday. Their record of six defeats in eight games does not make happy reading, however.

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Dalglish has denied that with fourth place out of reach the FA Cup took priority but a trip to the struggling Ewood Park side four days before meeting an Everton side in much better form will once again put their performance under scrutiny.

“We want to win every game we play in and we try to do that – it’ll be no different [against Blackburn],” said the Liverpool manager, whose team have won just twice in 2012 and taken only nine points from 13 matches. “We need to get [this game] done and dusted before we get ourselves and our minds focused on Saturday.

“The players are used to it. If you play for Liverpool Football Club, every game is a big game.

“I’m sure the boys who’ve come in who haven’t grown up with it will probably realise that as well.

“This is a game we want to go and compete in and we want to go and win, and then Saturday will take care of itself.”

Centre-back Daniel Agger is pushing for a return to the starting line-up having made his comeback after a six week lay-off. The Denmark international returned as a substitute in Saturday’s draw against Villa after a cracked rib and will be hoping to get back into the team ahead of the weekend’s semi-final.

Striker Andy Carroll could be set for a recall after three substitute appearance in four matches.

However, Dalglish’s opposite number and compatriot Steve Kean senses that the Reds’ thoughts can’t help but stray towards Saturday’s Merseyside showdown when they pitch up at Ewood Park. Rovers are desperate to halt a run of three successive league defeats, which has sucked them back into the bottom three.

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Kean said: “There is no reason why we can’t go out and beat Liverpool. We’ve done it before, last year. We played very well. Liverpool will have an eye on the FA Cup so us playing them now is a good time.

“It will be difficult for them not to think about the semi-final, so we will try to use that to our advantage.”

Blackburn will be without suspended on-loan striker Anthony Modeste.

The Bordeaux player will have to serve a three-match ban after his red card for violent conduct during Saturday’s 3-0 away defeat against West Brom, Rovers’ third straight loss.

Kean will check on the fitness of defender Martin Olsson, who suffered a shoulder injury at the Hawthorns, although he was able to complete the game.