Lucas to stay at Liverpool according to Rodgers

How things can change in a 70 minute runout, with a player that was all but on the plane out of Liverpool before last night seemingly now sticking around until January. At least that’s the case for Liverpool’s ever popular Brazilian Lucas Leiva.

While 99.999% of Reds were beside themselves last night when the team sheet showed Can and Firmino would start at the Emirates, most of the surprise and bewilderment was saved for a first appearance of the season for Lucas.

If we’re honest it was always a possibility, considering Henderson’s injury and the attacking nous of the home side but Rodgers has made it clear in his selection policy since moving to Liverpool that he isn’t too fond of using a specialist defensive midfielder. Something which has seen Lucas on the ‘on his way out the door’ list in perpetuum.

But after another game that saw Lucas thrown in as a last resort, it – again – became obvious that the midfielder is by far the most accomplished in that role in the team, and now Brendan Rodgers is – again – very keen to hold onto him.

Speaking via the Liverpool Echo Rodgers, when asked whether the player would still be at Anfield by the end of the current transfer window said: “Yes.

“Lucas is our best defensive midfield player we have. There are games in which I will pay three midfield players and not always want a specific defensive one.

“But when we do need that, he’s the best that we have.

“He came in at Arsenal and did a great job, and is very much part of what we want to do.

“Of course, every player wants to play every minute of every game and you can never guarantee that as a manager

“But he is certainly very important to what we want to do, and is highly respected by myself, the coaching staff and the players.”

Not quite the prevailing opinion since the start of the season, it would seem, with Lucas marginalised to not even having a place on the bench. However, simply having Lucas in the squad should make those tough away days more palatable, on last night’s evidence and Brendan Rodgers finally seems to have noticed it.

Are you glad with the news, or should the club be looking to offload Lucas? Let us know whether you’re a fan of Lucas and what he brings to the team below.