Javier Mascherano has backed Liverpool's bid to land Carlos Tevez from Manchester United. Mascherano said: "It would be great to have Carlos here with me, I know how good he is.

"But I don't really know what the situation is, it is certainly a difficult one.

"I don't know exactly what is happening. The only thing I can say is that he is a great player and a great person."

Mascherano will at least be playing in the same side as Tevez next month, when Argentina have two World Cup qualifiers against Columbia and Ecuador.

He said: "I will be with Carlos in the national team shortly, and we know we have to win important games and if we can get six points from our next two matches we will be closer to the World Cup.

"It's important to win both games and see what happens, but obviously I want to be in South Africa for the finals next summer."