Houllier said: "He won't be rested on Sunday. We need him. I tried to rest Stevie in midweek because of the importance of the games coming up for us and for England. The good thing is we have a week before the Charlton and Arsenal games, then there's another week before England play Turkey.
"I do need to look after Steven. He is vital for us and I will protect him. He has a slight knee niggle, nothing serious but he plays so many games I will be careful with him.
"He plays in a sitting role in front of the back four. It is an important role because he has to protect the defence and start moves. It's a tough and demanding job.
"If you look at all of the big teams then their defensive midfielder is the vital element. Not only is he the ball winner who protects the back four, he also starts your attack. He is like a playmaker.
"When Milan won the Champions League last season they had Gattuso in that role. It's very important. These players have to defend for 80 per cent of the game but they must instigate the good attacks as well.
"Stevie now seems to understand he can have a range of passing, shorter ones as well. Sometimes the 14 yard pass is as useful as the 40 yard one and he understands that now."
Last chance to predict the score