LIVERPOOL boss Rafa Benitez fears his side's late revival could be ruined by meaningless international friendlies.

The club calendar will take a break next Wednesday for a round of international matches, with most of the Reds due to rejoin their national squads.

Captain Steven Gerrard, for one, is likely to be called up for England to play against France in Paris next week.

Argentinian key midfielder Javier Mascherano - who opened his Reds account against Reading on Saturday - is due to fly to Cairo after this Sunday's showdown against Manchester United for a friendly with Egypt.

All that just four days before a massive Premier League game with Merseyside rivals Everton next Sunday.

When asked about losing Mascherano, Benitez ironically told the Daily Express: 'I'm really, really happy that Mascherano will go to Egypt to play a friendly.

'These are things that you can't understand. Rules are rules so the players must go.

'It's the same problem for all the top sides. Normally the best players are in the top sides and they are playing Uefa Champions League or playing for the title.'

'It is terrible for us,' added Benitez.

'We have spoken 100 times about this, and how crazy it is, but nothing is ever done. This is the most crucial stage of the season.

About the concerns some of his players could get injured on international duty, Benitez said, 'You can't speak to the coach. You can say, 'be careful', but they are thinking about themselves.

'They need to check the players to see if they can manage with the team, so it will be very difficult.

'That, for me, is the reason that the squad is important, especially at this stage of the season.

'You need a good squad to use the players properly - sometimes you can and sometimes you can't.'

Benitez, whose side are on a run of seven straight wins, has good cause for concern.

After all, the Reds' early season march to the top of the table was undone following an international break in September, with players picking up injuries or losing form.

Benitez is now preparing his side for five crucial games that will define Liverpool's season.

He said: 'We now have a very tough spell. Everyone kept saying that because of that we had to win our three home league games with West Ham, Newcastle and now Reading. We have now done that.

'Now we have really difficult games and we needed these seven wins beforehand.

'Now we have five very hard games, three with Arsenal plus Everton and Manchester United away next week.

'We will only think of each one as it arrives, you cannot start to worry about what is ahead.'

He added: 'The first one is the most important. If we can keep our momentum then it will be easier going into the second one. We must not waste our time thinking too far ahead.

UNBEATEN

'We started the season playing well, winning a lot of games, scoring plenty of goals and we were unbeaten in the league until December.

'Still we have only lost three league games, our problem has been drawing too many and we are aware of that.

'If we had won just three of those drawn matches, things would be very different.'

Liverpool are now eight points behind leaders Manchester United, who they meet on Sunday at Old Trafford.

Benitez said: 'How near we finish to the top now will be interesting. We have been criticised this season, but let us see where we are in three or four weeks.

'We have important games and if we win them we will be a lot closer. If we can beat Manchester United we will be closer to the top, and that will give us more confidence.

'If we beat Everton after that then we will be closer still. Maybe, maybe we can be closer if we do not talk too much about it.

'Do we have a point to prove? Maybe, but only if we can keep winning three points.'

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