Simon Mignolet: 'FA Cup is crucial for Liverpool'

Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has insisted that all of the team's focus is on winning the FA Cup after their top-four hopes took a major hit at the weekend.

Following successive defeats to Manchester United and Arsenal, the Merseyside outfit now find themselves seven points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester City.

The FA Cup seems to be the Reds' only hope of salvaging their season, but they will go into Wednesday's quarter-final replay against Blackburn Rovers without the suspended Steven Gerrard and Martin Skrtel, as well as Emre Can, who was sent off during Liverpool's 4-1 defeat to Arsenal on Saturday.

"We knew that the two games against Manchester United and Arsenal would be very important," Mignolet told the Liverpool Echo. "We needed to take points from them but we haven't and that's a big disappointment.

"We have to move on. We've got another massive game on Wednesday night. We need to make sure we get through in the FA Cup.

"The FA Cup tie is our only focus now. The FA Cup is very important for us. We have to make sure we are prepared. We know what's at stake."

Meanwhile, manager Brendan Rodgers has expressed concerns that Liverpool will be unable to attract big-name players to Anfield in the summer without Champions League football.