Liverpool winger Riera: I do not want to make enemies with Rafa

Albert Riera insists he's not trying to make trouble with Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez.

The Spain international has been disciplined by Benitez and told not to return to the club's Melwood training ground until Monday after claiming in a radio interview in his homeland that Liverpool was a "sinking ship".

"I do not want to make trouble with the manager," Riera told Spain's Cadena Ser radio station in quotes reported by the Daily Telegraph.

"I am not interested in making Rafa my enemy in the slightest, quite the opposite, but ultimately it is about playing, and if I am not, we have to talk about why not. We have not had any talk about why it is.

"I played all of last year, and sometimes if I did not play so well in one game, I would still play the next week. But this season I have not played at all.

"When that starts happening, you have to assume it is something personal, rather than professional. I believe in these situations it is better to talk about it and try to fix it, or at least make sure everyone knows where they stand. I have no problem talking to people."

He added: "I am delighted to play for Liverpool and if I was playing, I would love to stay, because it is a brilliant place to play football. But if I am not playing I have no chance of going to the World Cup, so I am trying to solve the problem so I at least have a small chance."