Dalglish undecided on Carroll debut

Manager Kenny Dalglish is still not sure whether he will hand Andy Carroll his Liverpool debut against Manchester United on Sunday.

The centre-forward signed for a club-record 35 million-pound fee in January but is yet to play because of a thigh injury.

Carroll’s debut had been pencilled in for Sunday’s highly anticipated English Premier League clash against United – but Dalglish refused to confirm he would be involved at Anfield.

“Martin Kelly won’t play with a hamstring strain and Jonjo Shelvey won’t play,” Dalglish said.

“Everybody else’s fitness is more positive than that but who we have and who we go with we don’t know yet and that includes Andy Carroll. He may not even be a substitute though, he may be going to see Boyzone.”

“We need good players in every position. Whatever XI we’ve got on the pitch will represent this club proudly. It’s always helpful if you’ve got top-quality players in your team.”

“Andy’s training has always been progressing but it hasn’t progressed into a game yet. We’ve said all along that we’ve been delighted with his progress and he hasn’t done anything that hasn’t been encouraging.”

“Whether or not he’ll be involved on Sunday I don’t know and I’m sure Fergie would like to know. If he knows, he’s a better guy than us.”

Much has been made of the clubs’ battle for dominance in England, with both sides tied on 18 titles.

That means United – who lead the Premier League by four points – will edge ahead of their rivals this season should they go on to win the crown.

But Dalglish is not worried about scuppering United’s title challenge – he’s only focusing on Liverpool.

“They have a fantastic amount of championships to their credit and that just tells you how successful they have been,” he said.

“We want to help ourselves first, and if we help ourselves and it hinders somebody else then that’s not our problem is it? That’s theirs.”

“You can control your own destiny but nobody else’s. But if we get a result on Sunday, it’s more helpful to us than it would be harmful for them.”