Barclays Premier League

teven Gerrard faces a race to be fit for Liverpool's match against Chelsea on Sunday.

The Liverpool skipper is expected to have treatment today at the club's Melwood training ground following a worrying ankle injury picked up in his side's Champions League qualifier.

Gerrard took a painful crack on the back of his ankle from French midfielder Pantxi Sireix, the Toulouse player who spent all of Wednesday's match man-marking the England star.

With Sunday's Barclays Premier League home game with Chelsea now the next clash for Liverpool to contend with in a tough opening week of three matches, Reds manager Rafael Benitez would only say on Wednesday night: "We will not know how Steven is until he has been seen by the medical team and the doctor."

It was the only blemish for Benitez after his side mastered the sauna-like conditions to secure a 1-0 first-leg victory. Gerrard tried to carry on but was eventually replaced in the 61st minute by Mohamed Sissoko.

"I was replacing him because we needed fresh legs, not because of the injury, but we do not know yet how he is."

Benitez hailed the "wonderful goal" scored by new boy Andriy Voronin that put Liverpool within touching distance of the Champions League group stages.

The Reds manager watched as his free-transfer signing from Bayer Leverkusen ensured his new club are close to the £12million prize for reaching the competition proper.

Benitez said: "Andriy scored a wonderful goal, it summed up his qualities as a very fine striker.

"He is clever, has great game awareness and gives us so many more options in attack. He can play behind a main striker, lead the line himself, or come into the attack from the flanks."