Rodgers plays down Cole injury

Brendan Rodgers has played down Joe Cole's injury after he was replaced during Liverpool's 1-0 Europa League win in Belarus last night.

Cole, who spent last season on loan at Lille, lasted just 23 minutes of the third qualifying round, first leg before he was substituted by 17-year-old Raheem Sterling at the Central Stadion in Belarus. "Joe just felt his hamstring a little bit," Rodgers said. "I don't think it is totally pulled and it was just a little bit of tightness so we had to take him off. "It disrupted our plans a little bit but it was better to have him come off rather than risk injury." Glen Johnson was replaced by Martin Kelly just one minute into the start of the second period, but Rodgers said that was a tactical move and not forced upon him. "Glen was only scheduled to play 45 minutes anyway so he was taken off as planned," he added.