From Bascombe Liverpool will listen to offers for long-serving midfielder Lucas Leiva after the Brazilian was informed he is a back-up player this season. Lucas was not in the squad to face Stoke City on Sunday, and his eight-year career at Anfield is expected to end before the end of the month. Liverpool are yet to receive any bids for the 28-year-old, although there are suggestions Inter Milan are interested in a loan deal for the South American. Inter tried to sign Lucas last January, but Liverpool could not afford to let him go. At that time, he admitted he would "be lying if he did not admit he was thinking of something new". In fact, Lucas has almost left Anfield in the last three transfer windows as manager Brendan Rodgers has looked to reshape his midfield. On each occasion circumstances have seen the player recalled, but his omission at The Britannia Stadium does appear to spell the beginning of the end for the player who joined Liverpool in 2007. He has made almost 250 appearances at Anfield and is a popular player having recovered from a difficult start to his Liverpool career under Rafa Benitez, reinventing himself as a defensive midfielder. Should he leave it will leave Rodgers short of an experienced specialist in the role, particularly with Joe Allen currently injured. Transfer window closes in 21 : 09 : 44 : 52 Days Hrs Mins Secs Lucas is not the only player whose absence on Sunday has prompted speculation about possible outgoings before the transfer window closes. Mamadou Sakho must wait for his opportunity after Rodgers made it clear Dejan Lovren and Martin Skrtel are his preferred pairing at centre-half. Lovren responded to that show of faith with his most accomplished performance since joining Liverpool. Mamadou Sakho is another player who will likely be used as a reserve this season Although Sakho’s absence could in part be attributed to him being granted paternity leave for three days in the build up to the opening day, he will still be a back-up option for now. Alberto Moreno was also left out as Joe Gomez made an accomplished debut at left back, although it is inevitable the 18-year-old signed from Charlton will be nurtured through his debut season. Liverpool must decide whether to retain Moreno – who will attract interest from La Liga - or cash in and look for another left back. One of the reasons Liverpool are willing to let Lucas leave is the signing of James Milner, who began his Anfield career with victory. After three years in which Rodgers designed his side to play an attractive brand of football, the Stoke win was about spirit more than guile. James Milner's arrival has impacted on the likelihood of Lucas being selected for the first team That was more due to circumstances at a tough venue than design, but Milner says there will be no complaints if the team gets a reputation for grinding out wins against notorious difficult opponents. “It is always about the results. If we played rubbish every game of the season and won every one of them then everybody would be happy with that,” said Milner. “Ultimately it is about getting that win whether it is a game where we can move the ball about or whether it is a game where it is a battle and we have to grind it out. You have to assess the situation and be able to adapt to those games and play in all these different formations and against different sides. A top team that can adapt and win the games when things maybe aren’t playing to your strengths. “There are going to be games throughout the season where you maybe don’t play as well as you want. You can’t always play free-flowing football, sometimes it is a battle and you need that bit of brilliance. Sometimes it will happen, sometimes it won’t. The pleasing thing is we were solid, kept a clean sheet and they didn’t really cause us too much problems with balls into the box, we kept a good line.”
