The defender was stretchered off on Tuesday but the Liverpool manager reveals that he could still be fit for Sunday, although on-loan Aly Cissoko faces up to six weeks out

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers says that the groin injury sustained by Kolo Toure in midweek is not as bad as first feared.

The 32-year-old was stretchered off the pitch during the club’s Capital One Cup clash with Notts County on Tuesday, with the Reds clinching a 4-2 victory in extra time.

But Rodgers is relieved by the progress made by the Ivory Coast international and revealed that the defender is in contention to face Manchester United on Sunday.

“His injury is nowhere near as bad as what we thought. We’ll just assess that over the next 24 to 48 hours,” Rodgers told reporters on Friday.

“I think we were all thinking that he might be out for longer after the game but he’s made an excellent recovery. The diagnosis isn’t anywhere near as bad as we thought, so we’ll see how he is for this weekend.

“If it’s not this weekend, then we would think that after the international break he will not be too far away.”

The Anfield outfit also saw duo Joe Allen and Aly Cissokho leave the pitch with a hamstring and ankle injury respectively, with the on-loan defender facing up to six weeks on the sidelines.

“With Joe, likewise, it was only a grade one strain, so he may be doubtful for the weekend but, certainly after the international break, he’ll be fine,” Rodgers explained.

“Cissokho will be slightly different. He could be out for four to six weeks, which is a blow because he came in and trained really well last week. He’s on crutches at the moment and we’ll just look at that over the coming weeks but he certainly won’t be available [to face United].”

Our tipster believes that there is value in going against former giants such as the Anfield outfit and Inter this weekend

We enjoyed another profitable week to continue our fine start to the season. Last Sunday demonstrated the drama of football betting as not one but two late goals ensured we ended the week on a high.

Regardless of your experience in the market, a late goal in a match to win you a bet does bring a certain relief and thrill. The weekend has plenty of opportunities and I am confident we will end the month well.

Don’t be afraid to take on big names

Your betting strategy should always evolve as football and the fortunes of teams change. Periodically, you should always study your own bets and strategy and see how you can improve things.

The fortunes of some relatively big names have changed over the last couple of years and dont be afraid to oppose certain teams.  Inter, Valencia, Schalke and Sevilla are examples of teams who have all appeared to have regressed or are in transitional periods and they should be taken on in the market place.

They will still attract support in the market because they are traditionally strong teams in their respective leagues but there is value in opposing them. For example, Sevilla in their last 20 away matches in La Liga have only won once. Systematically laying them in these matches has produced 19 winning transactions and incurred only one loss.

This weekend’s tips

Looking ahead to the weekend, Manchester United look an attractive price at 19/10 (2.90) to beat rivals Liverpool. They defeated them twice last season and Liverpool tend to go off too short in the market for their matches.

The Reds get priced up as a top-four team when their real position is lower than that. In a tight contest, the draw no bet option is worth considering as you get your stake returned in event of a draw. Paddy Power are evens (2.0) on Manchester United draw no bet.

In Italy, last season Catania only lost three times at home in Sicily. They are a solid and talented team and I am happy to oppose Inter in this contest. Paddy Power go 11/10 (2.10) on Catania draw no bet.

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The former Gunners captain believes Arsene Wenger would be wrong to pursue a new forward as defensive worries – not goals – are the north London’s side biggest problem

Former Arsenal captain Tony Adams believes Arsene Wenger should prioritise signing a new defender over buying another striker before the transfer window closes on Monday.
The Gunners have been involved in failed pursuits of both Luis Suarez and Gonzalo Higuain this summer, but Adams believes Wenger would be wrong to bring in a big-name forward as he thinks defensive worries are the biggest problem within the current squad.

“This team is so gung-ho and they are so open that the balance is not right,” Adams told reporters.

“They are too susceptible to the counter-attack and they never look like keeping a clean sheet.

“It’s so scary; I sit there holding my breath every week. So to try to shell out £40m on Suarez or Wayne Rooney would be money badly spent on yet another player who can open doors in the attacking third while the back door remains wide open.

“Arsenal have not got a problem scoring goals because Giroud scored 17 last season, they have got the pace of Theo [Walcott], Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, [Jack] Wilshere, [Aaron] Ramsey. They can score from all over the pitch.

“They need someone to lock it up when it breaks down and I would be scouring Europe for the next Gilberto [Silva].

“I must have been the only person in the country doing somersaults watching Manchester United and Chelsea keeping clean sheets the other night – two fantastic, organised, solid sides giving nothing away.

“That wasn’t a boring game for me, because I was wishing Arsenal could do that more often.”

Wenger’s side host Tottenham on Sunday and Adams believes the north London derby will provide a difficult test for the Gunners – especially in light of Spurs’ heavy summer expenditure.

He added: “There’s not going to be a lot in it on Sunday. Tottenham have spent a lot of money, they have got better and Arsenal have not been challenging for trophies, while too many big players have walked out of the door, which has been galling for the supporters.

“Tottenham have come back to Arsenal in recent years and north London derbies have certainly changed a lot since my first one, when Stewart Robson kicked Glenn Hoddle all over the pitch and we could have a good fight.”