Benitez happy with Reds’ recovery

RAFAEL BENITEZ has hailed the response from his players following the Champions League nightmare in Istanbul just a week ago.

Since then Liverpool have suffered an injury crisis but managed to halt the progress of unbeaten leaders Arsenal, while reaching the Carling Cup quarter-finals after blooding new youngsters at Anfield.

But the Liverpool boss accepts that his squad must maintain these standards in two hugely important games in four days — a league visit to Blackburn and then the next Champions League game against Besiktas on Tuesday.