Carroll named in Reds Europa squad

Andy Carroll has been named in Liverpool's squad for Thursday's Europa League qualifier against FC Gomel amid doubts about his future.

The 23-year-old moved to Anfield in January 2011 for £35million but has failed to hit the heights with the Merseyside club. He began to show signs of an improvement towards the end of last season and earned himself a place in Roy Hodgson's England squad for Euro 2012. Kenny Dalglish's departure from Liverpool has prompted speculation that the former Newcastle striker might be set to leave with new boss Brendan Rodgers making it clear that the giant hit-man could look elsewhere if he desired. West Ham have shown an interest as they look to secure their place in the top flight but a deal seems a long way off at present and Carroll's long-term future remains unclear. Whether or not he plays any part in the Reds' European clash is open to debate but Uefa rules allow a player to represent one club in the qualifying round and another in the group stages. That would mean he could theoretically play for Newcastle if Alan Pardew manages to bring the Gateshead-born hit-man back to St James' Park. Punters looking to use a free bet might fancy Liverpool, even without Craig Bellamy and Luis Suarez, to beat FC Gomel on Thursday and give themselves an excellent chance of reaching the group stage of Europe's second tier competition.