As judgment day looms for Liverpool’s embattled American owners, Rafael Benítez attempted to put on a brave face yesterday, the manager insisting that the chaos at the club off the field would only pull him and his players closer together as they seek to bring some relief to concerned supporters.

For all his efforts to remain upbeat and toe the party line, however, it still promises to be a critical week for the future of English football’s most successful club.

What initially started out as a clash between manager and proprietor has escalated into a battle between the two owners, George Gillett Jr and Tom Hicks, but there were no concrete indications last night as to how this struggle for power at Anfield will play out.

One well-placed source at the club suggested that, with Monday a Bank Holiday in the United States, it could be “two or three” days yet before the owners’ intentions become clear, with Gillett mulling over whether to support a plan, backed by Dubai International Capital (DIC), to buy out Hicks’s 50 per cent shareholding or throw his weight behind a controversial refinancing package that would strengthen his partner’s hold on the club but weaken his own.

The situation is thought to be causing Gillett considerable stress. On the one hand he is understood to have serious misgivings about his continued involvement with Hicks, who has proved anything but the silent partner he hoped for when he brought the Texan on board to help to secure their takeover of the club in February last year, not least when admitting this week that he had talked to Jürgen Klinsmann about succeeding Benítez before the former Germany coach took charge at Bayern Munich.

If he reluctantly commits to the £350 million refinancing package that Hicks has been pushing hard for, Gillett knows that they will be committed to working together, despite a growing acceptance that their long-term relationship is untenable.

On the other hand, Gillett cannot be sure how Hicks will react if he uses the financial clout of DIC, the private equity arm of Dubai that was gazumped by the Americans in their bid to purchase Liverpool last year, to attempt to buy out his partner’s stake.

Insiders said last night that they were “in the dark” as to whether Hicks would be willing to sell, although if his spokesman’s remarks on Thursday were anything to go by, he will not be doing so. Equally, even if a favourable offer is put to him by Gillett — and there remains only a “10 to 15 per cent” chance of that happening, according to sources — Hicks may take exception to his partner aligning himself with DIC and attempt to drive up the price of his shareholding or lodge a counter-offer.

With the £350 million loan that would allow the Americans to repay money borrowed from their takeover and begin work on a new 70,000-seat stadium in Stanley Park expected to be in place early next week, however, the only thing that is clear is that Gillett has little time to decide what to do. Either he signs the terms of the loan on offer and effectively bows to Hicks, or he goes with DIC and hopes that Hicks reacts positively.

Whatever the outcome, the futures of many at Anfield are likely to be in doubt. Benítez has next to no support from Hicks and Gillett, but the manager is unlikely to be much better off in the event that DIC comes on board, with the Arab-run consortium known to favour the appointment of its own man. Likewise, Rick Parry, the Liverpool chief executive, who has come in for some fierce criticism for agreeing to the Americans’ takeover, may also be under threat.

At least Benítez retains the loyalty of his players and the fans. “When you play well, I think it shows the team spirit is much better and the confidence of the players is higher,” Benítez said. “It’s easier when you are winning, so we need to win some games in a row and everything will be much better.”