Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will miss the rest of the season with a groin injury, dealing the team another blow to its chances of finishing in the European places in the Premier League.
Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish said Friday the England midfielder had a setback in training this week after undergoing surgery last month.
''We still don't know definitively what the problem is,'' Dalglish said. ''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.''
Earlier this week, center back Daniel Agger was also ruled out for the remainder of the campaign with a knee injury, while right backs Glen Johnson and Martin Kelly are out for a month with hamstring problems.
With Liverpool out of the Europa League and the FA Cup, its only route to Europe next season is through the Premier League.
The Reds, however, have only seven matches remaining and are five points behind fifth-place Tottenham, which currently occupies the only Europa League qualification position. Spurs also have a game in hand over Liverpool.
England's next game is a 2012 European Championship qualifier against Switzerland at Wembley on June 4, two weeks after the end of the Premier League season.
Gerrard's last match for Liverpool was the 3-1 home win over Manchester United on March 6.
''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,'' Dalglish said.
