Kenny Dalglish believes Liverpool can take numerous positives away from Prague following a goalless Europa League encounter with Sparta - not least the return from injury of Joe Cole.

Neither side looked like creating a dent on the scoresheet and the last 32 tie will now be decided at Anfield in one week's time..

Afterwards Dalglish reflected: "It was a difficult game for us. We'd rather have been more offensive than we were but circumstances dictated things with the players we had available.

"0-0 is not the best result we could have got but it's not the worst either.

"There was a lot of value in the game: Soto Kyrgiakos got a game, Danny Wilson got a game, David Ngog got a start up front and Joe Cole came back into the fray. The game in some ways served its purpose because those four lads will get great benefit from it.

"Also, the young lads we brought over - the experience for them.

"Next week we'd anticipate it being a different kind of game."

It was Dalglish's first European match in charge of Liverpool due to the ban on English teams competing on the continent during his first reign.

To watch our exclusive chat with Kenny click on the play button below

Despite the often laboured manner of the contest, the Scot admits it was an occasion he will remember.

"It is special, but every time you go into the dugout for this club it's special," he said. "It's a club with fantastic history and tradition and pride.

"It was fantastic and something to look back on."

Dalglish was forced to replace Fabio Aurelio with Cole late in the first half due to injury.

He said: "It's an adductor strain. It's not too bad. Midfield was the last place we needed an injury. Obviously Fabio would prefer to play somewhere else than midfield but needs must."

It was the first time Cole has featured under Dalglish due to a knee problem, and the boss added: "We've got to be patient with Joe. That's his first run out since I came back. That's a great start for him to get on the pitch and get an hour. That won't do him any harm whatsoever.

"Joe's a valuable asset for us but obviously he's not going to pick up his form immediately. We're not going to expect him to be the Joe Cole who came here in the summer straight away.

"Form's temporary and class is permanent: that's where we stand with Joe Cole. We'll give him a bit of time to get himself up to speed and then we can see him produce something for us."

On whether Steven Gerrard will be back from a groin problem in time for next week's return leg, Dalglish said: "We'll see when we go back. I don't think he'll be too long before he's fit and I don't think Daniel Agger will be too much of a problem either.

"We left Martin Kelly and Martin Skrtel out as well because young Martin Kelly has been through an awful lot in the last seven games and has been playing with a few bumps and bruises. This gave him the opportunity to refresh himself, and Martin Skrtel got injured at Chelsea but carried on - and we didn't want to take a chance."