Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has revealed Javier Mascherano was not "in the right mind" to face Manchester City. Barcelona are understood to have had an offer of £12million rejected by Liverpool and that prompted Mascherano to sit out Monday's game at City.
The Argentina international is keen to quit Anfield, but Hodgson wants to retain the 26-year-old in his squad.
When asked where Mascherano was, Hodgson told Sky Sports: "I don't know where he is tonight, but he's not with us here anyway.
"He's not here because obviously there is some speculation about his future and at the moment his mind isn't right, so it wasn't correct to select him.
"Hopefully matters will get resolved, certainly before the end of the transfer window and I'll have a chance to pick him again, but tonight would not have been a good time to select him."
Regarding whether Mascherano would go, Hodgson added: "I don't have a gut feeling about it, basically speaking the club has got a position.
"Of course, we are under pressure from another club who wants to buy him, but we are in good company as it has happened to a lot of clubs during this period of time.
"It will happen, I guess, a day when the offer for him matches our valuation, but until that day he stays with us."
