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Jamie Carragher to play out of position at Pompey
Jamie Carragher plays his 600th game for Liverpool at bottom club Portsmouth today as he once again answers an SOS from manager Rafa Benitez to play out of his recognised position.
Benitez moved the versatile Carragher to centre-back soon after he took charge in 2004.
But a doubt about the fitness of England’s Glen Johnson has Benitez poised to switch Carragher to right-back.
Benitez said: “To play 600 games is amazing. It shows his passion and commitment. Before I came here, I watched a lot of games and Carra always stood out as you could see he was a clever player.
“He wanted to be a central defender and he was keen to learn; you can see that he has improved every single year. He is a top professional.
“That is the difference between him and other players. Some have different qualities but he analyses, he reads the games well and he can adapt to different situations. He is one of the best defenders in England . I’m sure he will continue to do well wherever he plays.”
Steven Gerrard will hope to rediscover his old form today after struggling to overcome a groin problem through much of this season.
Benitez said: “He was not training for a while but now you can see he is improving.”
Striker Fernando Torres is set to start as he continues his own recuperation from a similar injury.