Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has revealed that Steven Gerrard is set to undergo a groin operation on Thursday.

If Gerrard goes under the knife, he will certainly miss England's two World Cup qualifying games next month. But he could return for the Manchester United game on 13th September.

The Reds boss admitted it was a blow to lose his skipper but is hopeful he will make a speedy recovery after he played the full 120 minutes of Liverpool's extra-time win at home to Standard Liege.

"I'm disappointed because Gerrard will have an operation tomorrow," he said.

"He has a groin problem. We knew it could be like this and I was surprised when I was reading some of the newspapers saying he has to play and has to start but he had a problem and now he will have an operation and will be out for 10-15 days.

"It isn't too much because he needs to have it because he is having pain with it. When he went with the national team we knew he had a problem and in the first-leg too.

"I was talking with the doctor yesterday and today we talked with him. He said he would play with pain and after it he would have an operation.

"He knew he had to keep going tonight because he was having the operation tomorrow."

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