Champions League a priority for Reds

One week away from a showdown with bitterest rivals Manchester United in the Worthington Cup final at Cardiff, Liverpool’s stars refuse to take their eyes off the ball in the competition they really want to do well in.

The glamour of the Worthington final is all very well, but Liverpool desperately need to be in the Champions League next season.

They may be on course for more glory in this season’s UEFA Cup following Thursday’s 1-0 first leg win in the last 16 in Auxerre, but it is only small beer and smaller bank balances compared to the real thing.

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher voices that determined view from within the Anfield dressing room.

And that is why they see tomorrow’s tough Premiership clash at Birmingham as a game just as, if not more, important than their Millennium Stadium crunch next Sunday or even Thursday’s return with the French title chasers.

Carragher knows only too well that Liverpool can wave £15m goodbye if they fail to get into the top four of the Premiership this term, and qualification for the main European competition.

He said: “We have qualified over the last couple of seasons for the top event, and we all know what’s at stake in terms of revenue that comes into the club.”

Liverpool go to Birmingham having lost just one of their last nine league games in two months. It may not have been pretty, but they are grimly reclaiming lost ground in the top flight.

But with Chelsea and Everton ahead of them in the race for Champions League football, Liverpool also know they must win at St Andrews or their hopes of reaching the Champions League will be in real doubt.

Carragher added: “If we are in that competition we can attract even better players to improve the squad and that, in turns, gets us closer to winning the league.

“Just being in the Champions League will bring more quality players to the club.”

Carragher understands the finances and politics of the game.

He knows Liverpool, in the summer, will not be able to afford or persuade the very best to come to Anfield if they are playing in what is effectively Europe’s second division.

“Winning trophies is great and getting as many medals as you can is what football is all about,” he said.

“But we know how important it is, from the financial point of view, to get Liverpool back into the Champions League.”

Do not be surprised to see Liverpool wanting to win at St Andrews more than anywhere else in the coming week.

Steven Gerrard drops out of Liverpool’s squad to complete the final match of his three-game domestic suspension.

Also banned is Senegal forward El-Hadji Diouf while Liverpool will have a doubt over defender Stephane Henchoz.

The Swiss star played in the 1-0 UEFA Cup win against Auxerre despite injuring an ankle in training.

But he limped out of the first leg tie after 68 minutes to be replaced by Salif Diao.

Henchoz is having extensive treatment this weekend to try to make the Birmingham match.

Diao’s arrival was a significant decision by boss Gerard Houllier, who chose Liverpool’s second Senegal star in preference to Dietmar Hamann, who was left on the bench in France.