Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish insists Andy Carroll can handle expectations at Anfield.

Dalglish insists the striker is not down on confidence.

"He is adapting well to the change and we will keep working with him and, fortunately for Andy, we have much greater belief in him than a lot of people have who write about him," said Dalglish, speaking before Luis Suarez was hit by the one-match ban over the Fulham incident.

"He is not struggling to deal with anything - the perception has not come from anywhere else other than someone's imagination.

"I don't think self-belief is a problem for Andy Carroll, I don't see why it should be.

"There's nothing to say he's short of belief and there is no evidence he should be.

"He is unfortunate in that he attracts a bit of attention to himself from yourselves (the media)."