FAMILY MATTERS: Suarez relaxes with his wife and children ahead of Sunderland clash

Luis Suarez posted this picture on Instagram on Wednesday morning

Gus Poyet joked that he hoped Luis Suarez would be taken ill before Liverpool play Sunderland on Wednesday night - but his plea looks to have fallen on deaf ears.

The Uruguayan superstar posted a picture on Instagram on Wednesday morning of himself, his wife and two children relaxing in bed before the big game.

Suarez - the Premier League's top scorer with 28 goals already this season - accompanied the picture with the words: 'Good morning everyone! What better than waking up with the most important people in my life... I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!' 

Sunderland manager Poyet believes Liverpool would be in mid-table without Suarez.

'I hope he is ill,' he admitted. 'Without him they would be mid-table. He should be the player everybody should vote player of the season.' 

Suarez's countryman Poyet (left) watches his son Diego as Charlton beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 at the City Ground on Tuesday night

Liverpool defender Daniel Agger was glowing in his praise of Suarez on Wednesday.

'Luis has got everything,' Agger told the Liverpool Echo. 'He is right up there with the best. What he does on the pitch is just unbelievable.

'Every team in this league is afraid of him and rightly so.

'Without a doubt, he has to be footballer of the year. It’s not only his goals and his assists, but also his work rate for the team.'

Culled from Daily Mail