Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has revealed that Javier Mascherano just could not understand why he was dismissed during Sunday's 3-0 defeat at Manchester United.

Steve Bennett showed the midfielder a second yellow in the 44th minute, and Benitez said it was simply for a question asked by the Argentina defensive midfielder, who will now miss the Merseyside derby at home, following a booking for team-mate Fernando Torres.

"It's clear Mascherano made a mistake but he was only asking the referee a question. Ryan Babel was there and saw that he was just asking,” Benitez said on the club’s official website.

"Maybe he does not know the referee.

"The referee decided to give a second yellow card and he couldn't understand. He was as surprised as me.

"I could speak to him in Spanish, so I said, 'Listen, it's finished.'

"He knows he made a mistake but he was so surprised. He is a very good professional who has played a lot of international games all around the world, and he couldn't understand why he was sent off for just asking.

"It's difficult to explain some things that happen on the pitch and I think it is perhaps better to not say too much this time."