Liverpool legend Steve McManaman believes Andy Carroll will benefit from a fully fit Steven Gerrard.

McManaman insists it's too soon to write off the big Geordie.

He told the Mirror: "It's far too early to talk about make or break for Andy. Liverpool spent a lot of money on him, and there's a lot of pressure on him, but give him time.

"If Carroll and Gerrard both play against Oldham, as I would hope, I think Andy will do well, because Stevie is the king of assists. Liverpool have missed his passes, which unlock tight games. They have missed his set-piece delivery... and nobody has missed him more than Carroll.

"Gerrard will help him a lot. In the same way that he helped Fernando Torres a lot. His ability to deliver telling passes and crosses at the feet of Liverpool's strikers has been arguably their greatest strength for a decade now.

"Carroll's price-tag has exacerbated all criticism of his record since he joined Liverpool, but I'm a realist - he's still only young, and he will only improve technically, and we all need to be a bit more patient with him.

"To wear the No.9 shirt at Liverpool, and follow in the footsteps of Ian Rush, Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler and John Toshack is a huge responsibility, but good players will always shine in the end.

"When Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at Manchester United, he came with a reputation for being the best young thing since sliced bread, but it took him two or three years to develop.

"Look at him now.

"With Suarez out of the picture for a month, hopefully Carroll will get a run of games in the side to find that consistency."