Capello will not apologise over Gerrard

Fabio Capello will phone Roy Hodgson to sympathise about Steven Gerrard, but he does not intend to apologise for the injury which will cost Liverpool their captain for up to four weeks.

Within minutes of Gerrard limping out of last night's friendly defeat to France at Wembley last night it became apparent the Merseyside giants were not happy.

Liverpool's head of fitness and conditioning Darren Burgess made his feelings clear on social networking site Twitter, branding the Football Association "amateurish, incompetent and disgraceful" for their handling of Gerrard, who has now suffered seven injuries on international duty in the past three years.

Burgess indicated a deal had been struck for the Liverpool skipper to be replaced after an hour, and was aggrieved that Gerrard suffered his injury five minutes from time.

Capello knew immediately the problem was "bad" and, as a former club boss, understands just how Hodgson will be feeling, especially as Gerrard will almost certainly be fit for England's next game in February, but is now set to miss a significant period of his club's season.

However, the Italian also feels he was left in an impossible situation given a relatively inexperienced team had been weakened still further by the departures of Rio Ferdinand and Gareth Barry at half-time.

"I will speak with him (Hodgson)," Capello said. "But to explain what?

"Afterwards he will be either happy or not happy. I know this because Steven is a really important player.

"But injuries can happen. We were trying to win the game, he is really important and we had a lot of injuries in midfield. That is why he stayed on the pitch."

That Burgess deleted his irate Tweet was an indication he might have overstepped the mark.

Although it would be quite understandable if the private view inside Anfield was one of frustration and annoyance, Capello was perfectly within his rights to utilise whichever players he chose, providing they were fit, which the Italian insists Gerrard was.

That will come as no consolation to Liverpool after their head of sports medicine and sports science, Dr Peter Brukner, confirmed the midfielder's injury was "significant".

So much intense discussion about Gerrard was not anticipated prior to kick-off.

Then it was Andy Carroll who was the centre of attention after it became known Newcastle had been in touch to express their concern about the striker being cleared to make his debut.

As it turned out, Carroll came through his 70-minute workout unscathed, one of the few plus points on an otherwise disappointing evening, with Magpies chief Chris Hughton actually believing Newcastle will benefit.

"We went through the appropriate channels, it was just unfortunate for us that something game out," Hughton said.

"There is no frustration that he played. In fact I think we will benefit from the fact he got through 70 minutes and has made his debut."