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Not for the first time in his eventful Anfield career, Liverpool are taking a gamble on Luis Suarez.

“See you in Melbourne,” the Reds’ suddenly verbose South American striker was told – as Brendan Rodgers collected all his chips and slid them across the table onto red seven.

He won’t know if he’s hit the jackpot until August 31 – at round about 11 o’clock at night.

That’s when the transfer window closes – and if Suarez is still a fully focused, motivated Liverpool player by then, the Reds’ boss will be cashing in his chips.

But ‘focused’ and ‘motivated’ are the key words.

Because every press pronouncement from Suarez during the recent Confederations Cup tournament suggested he is anything but.

For the next 58 days Reds fans will be hoping for nothing more significant to come from Suarez’s lips than a “Hello gaffer, glad to be back”.

The Reds boss clearly knows Suarez better than most.

And he is banking on the prodigiously talented number seven knuckling down from July 22 and acting as if nothing has happened.

Clearly it has.

Suarez has blamed the English media for not treating him well.

He has spoken of a good moment for a “change of environment” and he has said “in some ways I feel uncomfortable”.

He has also added: “ I do not know when I’m going and I do not know if I’m staying.”

Liverpool have taken the glass half-full approach.

They are confident that their foresight in tying Suarez to a long term contract 12 months ago puts them in the driving seat.

But that simply preserves his value.

The Reds have had no offers for Suarez’s services. They have received no transfer request.

But Real Madrid don’t do business in the traditional fashion. And Suarez is currently away on holiday.

This could be the lull before the storm, because Suarez has form for getting his own way.

When Ajax wanted to take Groningen’s promising young Uruguayan in the summer of 2007, the provincial club blocked the move.

Suarez appealed to the Dutch FA to force the deal – but an arbitration committee ruled against him.

So Suarez threatened to go on strike.

Ajax eventually got their man.

The Anfield hierarchy are clearly uncertain about Suarez’s future.

Lucas, Steven Gerrard and Glen Johnson were chosen as the poster boys for the new third strip unveiled yesterday (it’s hideous, by the way).

Fabio Borini and Jose Enrique were the models for last month’s away strip.

While the club’s highest profile forward was nowhere to be seen.

Having conducted so much admirable transfer activity so early in the summer, the last thing Liverpool need is a saga which is only resolved hours before the transfer window closes – a repeat, in effect, of last summer which left the Reds boss with just one senior striker for the first six months of the season.

With so many other parts of his complex jigsaw in place, Brendan Rodgers can’t afford for one giant sized piece to be lost.

Which is why he will be putting on his best poker face on July 22 – and praying the roulette wheel lands on red seven.