Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is convinced unsettled striker Luis Suarez can still play a big role for the Reds once he accepts he can't force his way out of Anfield.

Suarez has been banished to train with Liverpool's reserves and will be absent from Saturday's friendly against Scottish champions Celtic in Dublin after angering Rodgers with his claims that the Reds boss had gone back on a promise to sell him at the end of last season.

The Uruguay international is adamant Rodgers said he would let him leave after Liverpool failed to qualify for this season's Champions League and he has also argued there is a clause in his contract that means the Reds must sell him if another club offers over £40 million.

Arsenal have tried to take advantage of his desire to quit by launching a £40 million plus £1 bid.

But Liverpool owner John W Henry has rejected that approach and on Thursday he warned that the 26-year-old would not be sold at any price.

Inevitably Rodgers was forced to field a barrage of questions about the Suarez situation at a pre-match press conference in Dublin on Friday.

The Northern Irishman responded by offering something of an olive branch to Suarez, who scored 30 goals for Liverpool last season but will miss the first six games of this campaign while he completes a suspension for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic.

"Luis is training on his own and he understands totally where we're coming from," Rodgers said.

"It's been a difficult period for him but it's my job to protect the group. Once he's back with the spirit he'll rejoin the group.

"We're quite calm. The club is in control of the situation. We've got no inclination to sell and we've been strong on that.

"Luis has fought for his life for Liverpool. There will come a point where he'll recognise the club is not going to sell and then he goes on to the pitch and he'll give 100 per cent.

"He's a world class striker. I've got no question that when he's back he'll have a similar impact to last season."

Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, speaking before Saturday's friendly against Manchester City, admitted there was no progress on the Suarez deal.

"There is nothing to add to what I said already about the transfer of Suarez," Wenger said. "If it will be done, it will be done in a respectful and amicable way with Liverpool.

"I didn't read (Henry's) statements but we'll be faithful to the way we want to behave.

"To make a transfer happen, you need the agreement of three parties -- the buyer, the seller and the player.

"We know what we want to do. The player, if I look at the statements, does as well. Liverpool at the moment do not agree. If they change their minds or not, I don't know. We'll respect that.

"We are looking at possibilities to strengthen our squad. Suarez is one of the targets. If he's not for sale, he's not for sale. We have to accept that.

"Every club has its own way of dealing with things, we have our way and we respect all the other clubs."