Middlesbrough's Bolo Zenden has defended Steve McClaren's decision to rest key players for Wednesday's defeat at Liverpool.

Boro lost their grip on the Carling Cup and also lost their nine-game unbeaten run against a similarly weakened team.

A win would have been rewarded with a quarter-final berth for Boro.

In last season's competition McClaren chose a strong line-up in each of the five rounds leading up to the final.

But on Wednesday, despite being holders, Boro made seven changes to the team which played Bolton in the Premiership last weekend.

Mark Schwarzer, Gareth Southgate, George Boateng and Ray Parlour were all rested, as was Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink - who wasn't even on the bench - although Zenden, a goal hero of February's Millennium Stadium win, was one of the four who started both Sunday and Wednesday's game.

He said: "The boss wanted to give some players a rest and put some other lads out there, including some youngsters, to give them a chance.

"Being in the UEFA Cup we've played so many games already this season and so many more are coming up.

"Now we've got another important one coming up in the league against West Brom and we need the three points.

"It was disappointing to lose to Liverpool because I wanted to go all the way, I wanted to go to Cardiff again.

"We had the chance to go one step further but we didn't take our chances.

"It was very disappointing to concede with just seven minutes to play and with the score ending up at 2-0 it looks as though we didn't give them a game but we definitely did.

"Everybody knows how important the League Cup was to us last year so it's such a shame that door has closed on us."

The game could have have taken on a different complexion had Zenden not had a goal ruled out for off-side just before the halfway stage.

It looked a very harsh decision on the evidence of television replays.

"We didn't start off too well but we thought we got the first goal," protested the Dutchman.

"I was already running away to celebrate because the whistle was very late.

"I haven't seen the video yet but people have told me they thought it was on-side. So if that goal had been allowed it would have made it a different game.

"So that was very disappointing but I suppose we didn't start very well."

Having previously not lost in nine games before losing to Liverpool, Boro go to West Brom, on Sunday hoping to string together another good run of form.

Former Boro manager Bryan Robson took charge of the Hawthorns club this week and was present at Anfield to run the rule over the Teessiders.

Zenden said: "Every match is tough but they have brought in a new manager in time for the game so they'll be hoping to impress him, which will make it harder for us.

"It's more important to win games than to be able to say you've had an unbeaten run.

"You're better off winning two out of three league games and losing the other rather than drawing three matches because that would only give you six points."

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