Curbishley hopes for Mascherano thanks

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Mascherano, who failed to settle at Upton Park before joining Liverpool, seems certain to start for the Reds in Athens against AC Milan, alongside Steven Gerrard and ahead of Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso.

Curbishley said: "It was in everybody's interests for him to move on. He has grabbed his chance and perhaps he will turn to me one day and say thanks."

He added: "When I came in as manager at Christmas, Mascherano was on the floor. Tevez was a bit more upbeat because he had been involved and could see a chink of light. Mascherano couldn't.

"Before the transfer window opened we had a couple of weeks training but he got food poisoning and injured his ankle and I didn't see that much of him.

"He has gone into a different set-up there, it was a fight against relegation or a Champions League campaign."