Liverpool have suffered a second injury blow in three days after captain Steven Gerrard was ruled out for the rest of the season.

The England midfielder returned to training a week ago after a groin operation in early March but sustained a similar but not identical injury last Friday.

He has spent the week undergoing assessment and manager Kenny Dalglish confirmed the worst on Friday, saying: "We still don't know definitively what the problem is. We will wait to get a precise answer from the people that he has to see but he won't be involved again this season."

On Wednesday defender Daniel Agger had his campaign ended prematurely when it was confirmed he would be sidelined for at least two months with a knee tendon injury sustained in Saturday's defeat at West Brom.

Dalglish is also without right-backs Glen Johnson and Martin Kelly (both hamstring injuries) for the next month.

Dalglish added: "It is a blow to anyone but it's more disappointing for the players than it is for us, obviously.

"We just have to get on with it and without being disrespectful to the players who are injured the most important ones are the ones who are fit.

"They are the ones who can be chosen. At this particular moment in time I'm as good a player as Steven."