Liverpool pair face fortnight out

Liverpool FC will be without defenders Jamie Carragher and John Arne Riise for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie against Maccabi Haifa FC after both were sidelined for at least a fortnight following ankle injuries in Saturday's Premiership opener at Sheffield United FC.

Absence confirmed
Scans on Sunday after the 1-1 draw revealed that Carragher has sprained medial ligaments while Riise has suffered torn lateral ligaments, both in their left ankles. A Liverpool spokesman said: "We expect both players to be unable to train for the next two to three weeks." Liverpool play Maccabi on Tuesday in Kiev, in a game switched from Israel to Ukraine for security reasons. The Reds lead 2-1 from the home leg in which both Riise and Carragher started. The pair are also doubtful for their countries' opening UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifiers on 2 and 6 September - Carragher's England face Andorra and F.Y.R. Macedonia, while Riise's Norway take on Hungary and Moldova.