Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has demanded a radical overhaul of the relationship between clubs and national teams after striker Dirk Kuyt suffered an ankle injury on duty with Holland.

Benitez has slammed Dutch team bosses for not allowing Kuyt to return immediately to Anfield after he suffered the problem against Bulgaria on Saturday. Instead Kuyt remained with his national team and was due to have a scan under the supervision of Dutch medics to see whether he may recover for Wednesday's match with Albania.

Benitez told the Liverpool Echo: "If Kuyt is a doubt for Wednesday, it means he is not fit. They were talking about seeing if he can play. If he plays, he may miss the next three or four games for Liverpool, including Blackburn, the Champions League and Manchester United."