Kenny Dalglish is relieved that Glen Johnson was left out of the England squad to face Holland on Wednesday after injuring his thigh.

Johnson headed to the touchline after six minutes of their 2-0 victory over La Liga side Valencia at Anfield and explained to Dalglish that he had felt a twinge and did not want to continue.

Dalglish looked surprised but patted his player on the back sympathetically and sent him off to the dressing room for immediate treatment.

Fabio Capello, watching the scene from the stands, will have noted the player’s discomfort and adjusted accordingly as he tries to engineer a victory against the Dutch that will build England’s confidence ahead of the next Euro 2012 qualifier.

‘It’s a thigh injury and that’s all we know at this stage. We will find out better what the problem is on Sunday because all the players are in,’ said Dalglish.

As for Andy Carroll, who opened the scoring and drew a yellow card from referee Martin Atkinson for a dreadful challenge on Adil Rami and later appeared to elbow Mehmet Topal in the ribs, Dalglish insisted: ‘I’m absolutely delighted with Andy Carroll’s performance and we’re pleased that he has put his knee injuries behind him. We will see the benefit of that, probably.’

Though Capello may have been alarmed at the wild nature of Carroll’s challenges, he will have been heartened by the slim-line striker’s agility as he reacted to his own shot in the sixth minute.

Having hit the inside of one post, Carroll raced across goal to tuck his opener just inside the other. Sotirios Kyrgiakos added an untidy second just before time, and Dalglish added: ‘The clean sheet was reward for the discipline, hard work and pride the players have shown in training.

‘Now we have to wait to see if we can stay clear of injuries during these preseason international matches. I’m not a fan of them.’

Dalglish also cast fresh doubt on Alberto Aquilani’s Liverpool career. Asked if the 27-year-old would be staying at Anfield, he said: ‘I’m not even sure about my own future at the club so how can I talk about someone else’s?’

While Dalglish is secure, Aquilani’s destination remains unclear. Fiorentinalead the race for the 27-year-old, who started last night but failed to impose himself on the match. Juventus and AC Milan are also possible destinations.

Meanwhile, Dalglish plans to talk to star striker Luis Suarez tomorrow to determine when the Uruguayan will be ready for Premier League action.

Dalglish said: ‘You cannot hurry this situation, it will depend on how Luis feels, and I will find out on Monday or Tuesday. I’m not a clairvoyant.’