SOCCER EUROPA LEAGUE Liverpool v Trabzonspor:ROY HODGSON has warned Internazionale he is prepared to hold Javier Mascherano to his contract and let him leave Liverpool on a free transfer in 2012 rather than accept a cut-price offer for the Argentina captain.

Liverpool are only prepared to sanction a departure, Hodgson revealed, because of a gentleman’s agreement made when Mascherano was refused a move to Barcelona last year.

Inter, the European champions, were linked with the midfielder before they appointed the former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez as Jose Mourinho’s successor in June. Italian officials have since held talks with their Anfield counterparts, Mascherano and his agent, Walter Tamer, and have frequently talked up a reunion with Benitez. But, almost a week after receiving €27 million from Manchester City for Mario Balotelli, the Italian club have not made an offer for the 26-year-old.

Mascherano will miss tonight’s Europa League play-off first leg against Trabzonspor with a calf injury. But Hodgson has told the midfielder to prepare for an extended stay should Inter fail to meet the asking price of €30 million and admits an agreement struck last summer, when he was priced out of a move to Barcelona and asked to give the club one more season, has forced him to consider a sale.

Daniel Agger will also be absent against Trabzonspor due to the concussion he suffered against Arsenal on Sunday. “He has no memory of the game whatsoever. He is not doing too well,” Hodgson said. But Christian Poulsen, the €5 million signing, will make his debut, possibly in place of the rested Steven Gerrard, while Fernando Torres is fit to make his first start although, with Manchester City away on Monday a priority for Hodgson, the Spaniard is expected to be on the bench.

Guardian Service