Carragher will play his 53rd game of the campaign on Saturday when Liverpool bid to clinch the Barclaycard Premiership runners-up spot in their final home game with Ipswich.

But on Monday unlucky Carragher will head out to the States and will see a specialist the following day.

He said: ‘‘If I see the right people and get a couple of months rest then hopefully it will be sorted.

‘‘I’ll then find out if the knee needs to be operated on. Touch wood it will just need rest.’’

Eriksson has been aware of Carragher’s knee problem for some time, and clearly decided it was not worth the risk including him in the 23-man squad.

Carragher added: ‘‘Playing for England is a bonus but playing for Liverpool is what I want to do, and I know not playing for Liverpool would hurt me more than not playing for England. That is the main thing for me.

‘‘It is disappointing to be missing out on the World Cup but, as I’ve said, it would be more disappointing to break down with a serious knee injury and be out of action for a lengthy spell.

‘‘I’ve felt it for most of the season, but it wasn’t causing me any problems so I was okay to carry on.

‘‘But as the season progressed it got worse and I decided that I need to get it sorted.

‘‘Whether I would have been picked in the squad, I don’t know, but I told the manager of my intentions a few weeks ago.

‘‘What I wouldn’t have wanted was to go there, not be involved, and to have maybe broken down in training.

‘‘That would have left me with only a couple of weeks off in the summer and I wouldn’t have had time to get it right in time for the start of next season.’’