Rafa quells cup fever

Liverpool boss concentrating on league

Last updated: 5th January 2009

Rafa quells cup fever

Benitez: Staying focused

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Rafa Benitez has urged his players to stay focused on the Premier League after Liverpool were drawn to face Everton in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Liverpool opened their FA Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over Preston on Saturday and then found out they would meet their Merseyside rivals for a place in the fifth round.

Benitez accepts that the tie will be the talk of the city all month, but in the meantime Liverpool have other important matches to prepare for.

The Reds, currently top of the Premier League, travel to Stoke this Saturday and then tackle Everton on 19th January, five days before the cup clash.

Benitez told the club's official website: "It is a draw which will excite everyone in the city, because everyone knows about the great rivalry that exists between the two clubs.

"But we must remember that we have some big games coming up in the league before the cup tie - and we will be taking one game at a time.

"Only when the cup game comes around will it become our focus. Before then we play Stoke and Everton in the league, so we must keep our attention on those matches.

"But it is good to have so many important matches, because it shows that your team is doing well."

Carra hails Torres

Fernando Torres scored Liverpool's second goal against Preston as he returned to action following a month on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.

Jamie Carragher believes the Spaniard will play a major role over the coming months.

The defender said: "Having Torres back has given everyone a big lift. It is great when you see a player of that calibre coming back for the second half of the season.

"We hope the time he has been out will refresh him, because he had a long season with the Euro 2008 finals last summer.

"A lot of players have played a lot of games this season, because the manager hasn't changed it around so much.

"It has been a feather in the cap for everyone concerned with the club that we have reached the top of the table without having the best striker in the world in the side.

"You miss a player of that quality, but it will give us a lift to have him out there."