Rodgers says Suarez won’t be thrown into the garbage

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers insists striker Luis Suarez will not be “thrown into the garbage” following his 10-match ban for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic.

The Reds boss reiterated the stance of managing director Ian Ayre earlier this week by stressing the club will not sell the Uruguay international.

And he remains confident that once Suarez has got over the shock of his suspension he will look to the future with Liverpool and not seek a move elsewhere despite suggestions he felt victimised in England and was considering his options.

Rodgers has consistently supported Suarez and does not believe his backing has been undermined.

“He hasn’t let me down one bit, not at all,” he said.

“I believe if I had half-a-dozen players with the similar mentality we would be in a different position as a club. He fell way below the standards set at the club but it doesn’t mean he should be thrown to the garbage, which is what has happened with a lot of people in the last few days.

“It is way too early to say (about the player’s future). Having spoken a lot with him he is visibly very disappointed.”

Rodgers claimed the FA prejudiced Suarez’s hearing by an independent panel.

Rodgers questioned the panel’s ruling after the FA, immediately prior to the hearing, stated the statutory three-match suspension for violent conduct was “insufficient”.

“We need to understand what an independent panel is,” said the Liverpool manager, who also queried how much of the punishment had been as a result of Suarez’s record rather than the actual incident. We had been given clear indications by the FA that there was going to be an independent — or so-called independent — case put together and then we would receive what that sanction would be.

“If you are an independent panel and yet the day beforehand the FA come out and say he (Suarez) will serve more than three games it is not independent because they are already putting pressure on the sanction. There is a prejudice there straightaway.”

Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina said Suarez’s ban is “absurd, out of proportion and unfair”.

“I consider myself a friend of Luis. He is being treated differently, I don’t know if it’s because he’s Uruguayan or because he’s had a previous episode like this...,” Reina said.

“He knows full well that what he did was wrong but a 10-game ban seems to me absurd, out of proportion and unfair.