Steven Gerrard hopes Liverpool team-mate Luis Suarez misses England’s World Cup game with Uruguay

Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard

England captain Steven Gerrard has admitted that he is hoping his club teammate Luis Suarez does not recover from the knee injury that is putting his World Cup in jeapordy, telling reporters that “it would really help England” if Suarez were unavailable to line up in Brazil on June 19th.

The Liverpool captain stressed that he wishes Suarez well, but conceded he would rather not face his in form teammate at international level.

“From a really selfish point of view it would really help England if he was not available, of course it would,” Gerrard told reporters.

“I know him personally and I wish him well.

“I just hope he’s fit as soon as possible and certainly for when we go back with Liverpool.”

“The final group game and then Liverpool would be fine. From a selfish point of view, he will understand that.”

The knee injury picked up in Liverpool’s final Premier League game is threatening to curtail Suarez’s World Cup, or at the very list disrupt his preparation, with former England striker Emile Heskey saying Suarez “needs a miracle” to be fit.

“I know missing the World Cup would absolutely kill him,”  continued Gerrard.

“We’ll have to wait and see. I know he’s a fighter and he’ll do everything he can to be fit.”

No Liverpool player created more chances than Suarez (87) last season.