The Reds have been shorn of their influential skipper's services for 17 games, with a lengthy spell on the sidelines stretching back some six months. During his time on the treatment table, Kenny Dalglish has been busy bringing in a number of midfield reinforcements. Gerrard is, however, still very much the talisman at Anfield and Carragher admits it will be a relief to all concerned to see him back out on the field. It is expected that he will be returned to the fold in Wednesday's Carling Cup clash at Brighton and, following a 4-0 humbling at Tottenham, his presence will be welcomed with open arms by his fellow Reds. "He is the captain, the biggest name here," Carragher said in the Daily Express. "His presence will give everyone a lift. It's disappointing, of course, that he has missed the start of the new season, but what a player we now have to come back to help. "I speak to him on a daily basis, so I know how much he has wanted to get back. That is what makes him the player he is. He is just so desperate to be part of the new scene." Gerrard faces added competition for places from the likes of Charlie Adam and Jordan Henderson this season, but Carragher insists everyone at Anfield now faces a battle to earn a starting berth - regardless of reputation. "It's not just Stevie," he added. "When you are out of the picture, that is the way it is in football. You move on. "There has been a lot of talk about the players we have brought in and rightly so. But there is also the added bonus of knowing that Stevie is coming back to help out as well. "He is simply one of the best players around."
