Rafa Benitez facing fight to hold onto Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso at Liverpool

Rafa Benitez will call crisis meetings at Anfield to try to head off a rebellion from two of his most important performers.

The Liverpool manager is increasingly worried about the future of key players Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso after claims they are intent on leaving the club.

Mascherano made clear his desire to join Barcelona this week when his agent held a very public two-hour meeting with the club's sporting director Txiki Begiristain. The meeting was a massive slap in the face for Benitez, who had said only two days earlier that the midfielder wasn't for sale at any price.

And Alonso followed that up yesterday with some very pointed comments which suggest that, he too, is now desperate to leave to join Real Madrid. Asked if he would be disappointed if he was forced to remain at Liverpool next season, he smiled broadly and would only say: "I can not respond to that. But each player thinks about their own future."

Benitez has made it clear that Mascherano will not be allowed to leave at any price, and he will now call an Anfield summit with the player's agent to insist that the Argentina midfielder must honour the three years left on his contract.

Alonso will be told that he must also honour the three years remaining on his current deal, but the situation with the Spaniard is more complicated.

His relationship with the Liverpool boss has broken down, and Benitez WILL be prepared to sell, but only if the money is right, which means Madrid must get close to Liverpool's £30million valuation.

The player's agent will be told as much in a separate meeting, and the Anfield manager will make it clear that he won't be pressurised into selling any cheaper.

Liverpool, meanwhile, announced yesterday that former chairman David Moores has resigned from the club's board.

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