Javier Mascherano is facing up to payback time
WHEN Javier Mascherano was sent off at Man United last season and subsequently banned for three matches he later admitted he owed his manager and team-mates for leaving them in the lurch at such a crucial stage of the season.
No-one at Anfield felt Mascherano was indebted to them with the Argentinian having given every ounce of sweat he possibly could to the Liverpool cause since joining from West Ham.
He may have erred at Old Trafford, but the 24-year-old had more than enough credit in the goodwill bank to cover it and, in the event, his suspension did not end up hitting the club too hard anyway as Liverpool went on to take seven points from the three league games he was banned for.
The ban even had a positive effect on Liverpool's Champions League campaign as Mascherano's enforced lay-off ensured he was fully fit and rested for both legs of the Reds' quarter-final defeat of Arsenal.
But any debt which Mascherano felt was due to his club last April would pale into insignificance if Liverpool fail to hit the ground running when the new season gets underway while he is at the Olympics in Beijing.
Rafa Benitez has done his midfield general a massive favour in allowing him to travel 5,000 miles to northern China in a bid to win a second gold medal while his Liverpool team-mates look to get Premier League points on the board and attempt to navigate a path into the Champions League group stage.
The Reds boss would have been well within his rights to tell Mascherano he wasn't going and that would have been it.
There would have been no need for recourse to the same Court of Arbitration for Sport which this week ruled that Barcelona did not have to release Lionel Messi for the games because, unlike the La Liga star, Mascherano is not under 23 and, as such, his release was not deemed mandatory by FIFA.
But Benitez knew there was little point in denying a player one of his dreams, particularly as he is acutely aware of how important the Olympics are in Latin America.
He also took into account Mascherano's character and his commitment to Liverpool and decided that the right thing to do was to grant him special dispensation to travel to the games.
But when Mascherano returns in a fortnight's time, Benitez will be looking for payback and the Argentinian will be honour bound to provide it.
That is the gamble Benitez has taken and it is one which has assumed even greater risk since Steven Gerrard picked up a slight knock, and the expected acquisition of Gareth Barry has failed to materialise.
With Lucas also in Beijing, Benitez is likely to have only three central midfielders to choose from for Wednesday night's qualifier against Standard Liege in Belgium.
Two of those, Jay Spearing and Damien Plessis, have played just two full first team games between them and, despite both possessing promise, neither has the kind of experience which would be regarded as ideal for what is a tricky away tie.
The other, of course, is Xabi Alonso, whose future has been uncertain with speculation that he would exit Anfield. But, even with the Barry deal doomed, the Spanish midfielder still needs to convince Benitez he can play a key role in the Reds' hunt for honours this season.
All of which adds up to a situation in which Liverpool could dearly do with having Mascherano available to play for them instead of pursuing his Olympic dream in Beijing.
But he will know that and, even if he doesn't, Benitez will make it clear to him upon his return and the knowledge that he really does owe the club this time might actually inspire Mascherano to even greater heights than last season.
In the meantime, his team mates must ensure Mascherano's absence is no more than a minor inconvenience by accounting for Standard and getting off to the best possible start in the league.
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