The 32-year-old is set to go under the knife to cure an ongoing medical issue and will miss the last two games of the season as well as England’s end-of-term matches

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will undergo surgery on a lingering shoulder injury and miss their final two games of the season, the Premier League club have confirmed.

The England midfielder’s problems have deepened over the preceding weeks, with surgical intervention now required to ensure that he be ready for 2013-14.

Manager Brendan Rodgers had denied in late April that any such plans were in place, despite first-team coach Mike Marsh voicing his opinion that it would be necessary.

Gerrard will play no part in the club’s last two matches of the campaign, as well as missing England’s summer friendlies against Republic of Ireland and Brazil, but the club expect to have him fit for the beginning of pre-season.

The Reds skipper has made 44 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring 10 goals and notching 11 assists.

The Manchester City boss is a long-term admirer of the controversial Uruguayan, who is currently serving a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic

Troubled Liverpool striker Luis Suarez is as much of a “champion” as controversial former Manchester City frontman Mario Balotelli, according to Roberto Mancini.

As Goal exclusively revealed last month, the Reds were willing to listen to offers in excess of €47 million for the divisive Uruguayan even before his 10-match ban for biting Branislav Ivanovic.

Mancini is a long-term admirer of Suarez despite his numerous indiscretions and believes that, in terms of both ability and the controversy he attracts, the similarities with Balotelli are there for all to see.

“Suarez reminds me of Balotelli,” he told Gazzetta Extratime. “In part, he looks for trouble, but there is also aggression towards him. But the player is not discussed. He is a champion.”

Balotelli departed Manchester for AC Milan for a reported €20 million in January after a series of clashes with Mancini, and appears to have re-found his best form in his homeland, with nine goals in 10 league games.

But the City boss is keen on casting his eye towards Serie A for further recruits this summer, with Roma’s Brazilian defender Marquinhos high on his list.

“Marquinhos I really like, but I do not think that Roma is willing to sell,” he added. “With just two signings next year the Giallorossi can win the Scudetto.”

It has been suggested that Mancini’s own days at City might be numbered if he fails to beat Wigan in the FA Cup final, but the Italian believes those predicting his demise have ulterior motives.

“They are fictional stories in the British press,” he insisted. It is absolutely not true and I have never felt in danger.

“They criticise me for second place, but this was a valid argument, they should fire everyone, apart from [Sir Alex] Ferguson who won the Premier League and [Michael] Laudrup who won the League Cup.

“The truth is they do this because I am an Italian coach and because the City has broken the order.

“Until a couple of years ago English football, with its earnings, was in the hands of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

“Now here we are and it bothers them the City from 2011 to today won three trophies and if we win the FA Cup it will become four: not bad for a club that was barren for 35 years.”

The successful coach feels signing a top striker is not the way to close the gap with Europe’s elite and is looking to emulate Bayern Munich instead

Antonio Conte believes signing a high-profile attacker such as Gonzalo Higuain, Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Luis Suarez will not be enough for Juventus to challenge for the Champions League title.

The Serie A champions were eliminated by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of European club football’s elite competition this season and some have blamed the lack of a top striker for their exit.

Conte, however, feels Juve should look at other options to close the gap with the continent’s best sides and feels the Turin giants should be looking to follow Bayern’s model.

“I can only laugh when I hear people say that Juventus can win the Champions League with two or three good signings. The reality is different. There’s a big gap with the top,” Conte was quoted as saying by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“Ibrahimovic, Suarez or Higuain? You cannot say no to players like that for the fans, so if it was up to me, I would take all three of them. Even that would not be enough to win the Champions League, though.

“We have to follow the model of Bayern Munich. These are the kind of things I discuss with the president and [general director] Giuseppe Marotta. We have to improve in all areas.

“I heard [Arjen] Robben say the other day that Bayern’s win was a team effort. He understands how it works. He’s a natural talent, just like [Franck] Ribery. Yet they both do their utmost for the team. A good organisation brings out the best of individual players.

“Either way, we have to show respect to the club and the players we have right now.”

Juventus were crowned Italian champions at the weekend for the second consecutive season following their 1-0 win over Palermo.