Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will play against Preston in Saturday’s FA Cup third-round tie despite the assault charge hanging over him, Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez said on Friday.

Gerrard and two other men were charged with actual bodily harm and affray earlier this week following an alleged incident at a Southport nightclub that left the venue’s disc jockey needing hospital treatmen for facial injuries.

The England midfielder, who could face a prison sentence, was held by police for several hours before being released on bail, but Benitez has made it clear that Gerrard will lead the Premier League team at Deepdale this weekend.

“He will play in the match — he is ready and is a great professional and it is best for him to be focussed on football,” Benitez said. “Steven has been okay, training normally. I am supporting him 100 per cent. The best thing for us is that he is focussed on football, training well and he will play.

“Everyone has been supporting him. We know what’s going on and it’s clear that it’s a special situation but we have to support him because we trust him.

“He is a professional and a very, very good one. He will just be thinking about football. Hopefully he will score some goals, play as well as he was before and everyone will be talking about the game. I do not believe he will be distracted.”