Malaysia hosts Liverpool in friendly
Liverpool resumes its Asian Tour on Saturday when it takes on Malaysia at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
The English Premier League club kicked off the tour with a 4-3 victory over Chinese Super League side Guangdong earlier this week. Christian Poulsen, David Ngog, Conor Coady and Andy Carroll scored a goal each for the 18-time EPL champions.
Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish joined the club in Kuala Lumpur but flew back to England shortly after to personally witness the signing of Stewart Downing from Aston Villa.
Downing is Dalglish's third signing in the offseason after Charlie Adam from Blackpool and Jordan Henderson from Sunderland. He earlier brought in strikers Carroll and Luis Suarez in a bid to lead Liverpool back to its glory days.
Team captain Steven Gerrard and top goalkeeper Pepe Reina stayed home as both are still nursing injuries.
Despite the absence of Dalglish and their two stars, Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre promised an exciting match against Malaysia.
"It took us a long time to come to Malaysia but we would like to come back here again. We will be back in Asia in 2013 but have yet to decide which countries we will be going to," he told The Star shortly after arriving in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
"It was an amazing welcome this morning (5am). We expect a big turnout tomorrow, it is going to be a fantastic atmosphere for the Liverpool fans. We will make it a game to remember."
Other Liverpool players who joined the trip are Raul Meireles, Daniel Agger, Joe Cole, Maxi Rodriguez, Daniel Pacheco, Sotiros Kyrgiakos, Dirk Kuyt, Jay Spearing, Danny Wilson, Jamie Carragher, Jonjo Shelvey, Martin Kelly, John Flanagan, Daniel Ayala, Martin Hansen, Peter Gulacsi, Andre Wisdom, Jack Robinson, Brad Jones, Charlie Adam, Alberto Aquilani and Emiliano Insua.
Malaysia head coach K Rajagopal, meanwhile, wants to see improvement from his wards following their 0-4 defeat to Arsenal earlier this week.
"Arsenal are a team on a different level, and I accept the defeat, but I am not satisfied with the way we played. Our players seem nervous," he told state news agency Bernama after the match.
"They should scrap this tendency of being nervous when facing well-known players if they are to perform better in our next international friendly (against Liverpool on Saturday),"
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