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Brendan Rodgers admits Fabio Borini has staked a strong claim for more regular action with his contribution to Liverpool FC’s midweek Capital One Cup triumph.

The Italian striker hadn’t even made the bench for the Reds’ previous three matches before being handed a rare start in the fourth round tie with Swansea City.

Borini, who rejected a £13million transfer deadline day move to Queens Park Rangers having spurned Sunderland’s advances earlier in the summer, responded by producing one of his best displays in a Liverpool shirt.

It was his pin-point cross which created the equaliser for Mario Balotelli and he was a menace throughout.

The 23-year-old frontman has given his manager much to ponder ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League trip to Newcastle United.

Borini, who spent last season on loan in the North East at Sunderland, scored the only league goal of his Liverpool career in a 6-0 rout at St James’ Park back in April 2013.

“I thought Fabio was outstanding,” Rodgers told the ECHO.

“His pace, movement and work rate gave them problems.

“You really saw his character the other night. He’s very determined and he showed that in the game.

“If you’ve not played for a while and then come back into the side, sometimes you don’t want to take any risks. You don’t want to make mistakes, you want to be safe, for fear that you might not get another opportunity.

“But that isn’t what it’s about, especially if you are an attacking player.

“Playing up there you need to have that mobility. You’ve got to have that willingness to take risks in the right areas and work your socks off. Fabio did that.”

Borini was one of a number of players on the fringes of the squad whose efforts delighted Rodgers.

Liverpool may have left it late to book their place in the quarter-finals courtesy of goals from Balotelli and Dejan Lovren but the Northern Irishman believes the quality of the performance showcased the club’s new found strength in depth.

Kolo Toure, Lucas Leiva and Rickie Lambert were also among those handed an opportunity to shine.

“In the first half we played as well as we have done all season,” Rodgers said.

“In the last few minutes of the first half we gave away a few needless free-kicks and corners but apart from that we dominated the game, pressed the ball really well and with a better final ball we would have been in front.

“Swansea started better in the second half and got the goal but we didn’t disappoint. Yet again we showed the character in this team

to come back against a really good side who won the competition a couple of seasons ago.

“We kept going right to the very end and that showed the players’ character, mentality and fitness.

“A key point is that we made nine changes for the game. Two years ago when I made those kind of changes against Swansea we were comprehensively beaten because our squad wasn’t to the level.

“But this time playing against a nearly full strength team we won. It was a real positive result against an established Premier League side.

“I was very happy with what I saw. Fabio Borini was excellent, Lucas was very good and Rickie Lambert’s not getting his goal at the moment but he’s working very hard.

“Big credit to Kolo, who has hardly played at all this season but he’s been remarkable in training. His attitude is absolutely exemplary and I thought in the game he was fantastic.

“Across the board it was excellent. It was always going to be a really difficult game for us but there were a number of positives.”

Rodgers persevered with a 4-2-3-1 formation in midweek but he says in the wake of seeing the Reds fire blanks against both Real Madrid and Hull City he made a slight tactical tweak.

The Reds boss may have ditched his midfield diamond during Daniel Sturridge’s injury absence but he is keen to ensure that the way his team is set up doesn’t become too predictable.

He’s hoping an element of surprise will help Liverpool bring a halt to Newcastle’s recent revival under Alan Pardew.

“We changed the system of our team the other night but I’m not going to reveal what we did,” he said.

“It was something I had thought about with the shape. Part of the key for us over the past 18 months has been how we’ve been able to surprise opponents with our set-up and structure.

“Time was limited but we worked on a structure for a few days in training. With the ball we had a shape, without the ball we had a shape.

“I was very pleased with how fluid the team looked. A strength of ours is the flexibility of the players and their ability to play in different formations.

“Teams prepare all week to play against us in a certain shape and we have that ability to change the way we play. Credit to the players in terms of how they cope with that and the intelligence with which they play.

“The other night showed that all the players here are ready to fight for a position.

“I told them before the game ‘you are here because we think you are good players’.

“This was about going out and doing what they’re good at. We saw that in their performances and it’s given us a real boost going into the weekend.”

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