Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is fuming at Argentina, who insisted Javier Mascherano travelled to Los Angeles for a match on Wednesday, with the midfielder now unlikely to be back on Merseyside until today.

Benitez said: "Any friendly should be just that, you cannot play Guatemala in Los Angeles like Argentina have done, it is crazy. OK, so they won 5-0, but Javier will not be back with us until Friday."

On negotiations over Mascherano's permanent signing, Benitez added: "I am not sure. We are progressing but I don't have any latest news yet."