Liverpool’s Torres In The Frame For Besiktas Clash

Fernando Torres has made a remarkable recovery from a thigh injury to return to training on Monday and Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez will wait until last minute to see if he can include the summer-signing in the squad for the must-win Champions League game against Besiktas at Anfield on Tuesday.

The Spain striker had suffered an adductor strain against Arsenal and subsequently ruled out for at least three weeks. Benitez had expressed hope that he might have the 23-year-old back in two weeks.

And as such the former Atletico Madrid ace has responded well to the treatment to return to training on Monday. He will have another session tomorrow and Benitez admitted that he is “very confident” of the player being able to play some part against the Turkish club.

Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso however will be out for a month with his metatarsal problem, which he picked against the Gunners, while defender Daniel Agger is three weeks away. Harry Kewell has meanwhile, come out unscathed from his recent outings after recovering from his groin injury.

Steven Gerrard: We Need To Go For The Jugular

Steven Gerrard has urged Liverpool to “go for the jugular” as they aim to keep their Champions League dream alive this evening.

Rafael Benitez’s side entertain Besiktas knowing anything other than victory will almost certainly mean failure to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition for the first time under the Spaniard.

Liverpool were surprisingly beaten 2-1 in Istanbul by the Turkish side a fortnight ago, a result which means they effectively need to win their remaining three Group A games to progress. And Gerrard believes the Anfield outfit, who could have Fernando Torres available this evening, have no option but to attack from the off and ensure another famous European night at the stadium.

“I said after the game in Istanbul that we face three massive games, cup finals in effect, in our remaining Champions League group games and I have not changed my mind since then,” said Gerrard.

“We have to make a fast start and rock Besiktas early on. I don’t think we have anything to fear from them coming over here.

“We need to go for the jugular from the first whistle. We know we need a night like Juventus, Chelsea and Olympiakos, which was probably the last time we were in a similar position to now. Our backs were against the wall, and unfortunately that’s where we are again.

“But we know we can do it. On these European nights, everyone has to work together. We have to give the fans something to believe and get them going from the first whistle. Besiktas will sit back and break the game up, so we might need to be patient and then make sure our quality tells. If we get our performance right, then there are very few teams, if any, can live with us. We have got to get it right tonight.”

Liverpool were guilty of some profligate finishing against Besiktas two weeks ago before a late Gerrard goal gave hope of an equaliser after the Turks had led 2-0. And the skipper reckons the performance that night was an indicator Benitez’s side are capable of a morale-boosting triumph this evening.

“Despite the fact they got a good result in their own stadium, even they would admit we had more than enough chances to win the game over there,” added Gerrard.

“We believe in ourselves and our ability to go and get the job done. It would be great to send a message to the rest of the teams in our group that we are back, but we have to get the result on Tuesday.

“In the past we have saved some of our best games for this competition, but this season we have just not got going.

“We battled for a point in Porto without playing well and got what we deserved against Marseille. We didn’t take enough of our chances in Turkey and we won’t make the same mistake again here. We cannot afford to now we have left ourselves with no margin for error.”

Liverpool could have Torres in the squad tonight after the Span-iard made a quicker than expected recovery from his adductor problem.

The striker was in training yesterday and Benitez is considering taking a risk on the player given his team’s goal-scoring woes that were again illustrated against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.

Benitez said: “We will talk with the doctor, the physios and the player, but he is much better than last time. We must be really positive but we also have to be careful.

“He wanted to play last time and it was a very important game, so perhaps he wasn’t really fit, but players always want to play and think they are fit in those situations. I think we have enough power up front without Torres, but this is also a game when we might have to take a risk.”

Harry Kewell is likely to be restricted to bench duty again following impressive substitute appearances against Cardiff City and Blackburn in the last week. However, both Xabi Alonso and Daniel Agger will remain sidelined for the next three weeks as they recover from their metatarsal injuries.

Rafa Benitez Dismisses Europe Pressure

Rafael Benitez has dismissed the financial implications should Liverpool fail to progress from the Champions League group stage – and believes he is not under any extra pressure from the club’s American owners.

Anything but victory at home to Besiktas this evening would leave the Anfield outfit facing an early exit from the competition and missing out on a minimum of £14million in revenue.

However, Benitez reveals the club’s financial situation was not on the agenda during a meeting with Tom Hicks and George Gillett last week.

And the Liverpool manager is confident the Americans share his long-term view at Anfield of putting on-field success ahead of off-field gains.

“When you talk about a £400m stadium and the amount you get for reaching the final, then an extra £10m or so is not a big difference,” said Benitez. “What is important is that we progress in this competition. Football is the most important thing. We want to win because we want to win trophies, not because we want to save the financial situation. Of course, the owners want the money but is there a big difference between £400m and £410m?

“Every penny is important, but I don’t think the Champions League will make a big difference. We want to win and we want to progress, but it would be a big mistake to think about it only in terms of money.”

Benitez added: “I don’t know if not qualifying will make a difference to my transfer budget. I was reading some papers at the weekend that said I had no money, £20m and £25m.

“We didn’t talk about how much I’ve got to spend when I met Tom and George last week. We talked about the situation with the team, their plans for the future, the stadium, everything.

“I don’t feel there is any extra pressure on me after the meeting. When I spoke to them about my plan they were really pleased with it. Now we just have to keep doing the right things and the plan will be successful.

“Everything is good. They have been supportive from the first time I met them. They are nice people.”

Benitez believes that time rather than money is now the key factor to turning Liverpool into a team capable of regularly challenging for honours both home and abroad. The Spaniard said: “For a manager, when you are progressing and changing things, it cannot be done in one minute. You need time, but it is the same for all managers. I think we are improving and going in the right direction.

“The money is not the most important thing because of the position of the squad. The squad is strong. We need to improve two or three things but I am happy with the squad. We have better players now, the value of the players is much higher than before, so we are in a much better position.

“What are the two or three things? The owners know but now is not the moment to talk about them in public.”

Benitez has called for passion and cool heads from his players this evening, with Liverpool hoping to continue their record of having never lost at home to Turkish opposition.

“Win or lose I try to stay calm,” he said. “I can be disappointed, but I try to stay calm. If we cannot win I am the first one to analyse why and think about what we have to do, so I don’t need too many people telling me. I am always analysing and trying to improve with my staff.”

Benitez Keeps Faith In Kuyt

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is backing misfiring striker Dirk Kuyt to come good despite the Holland international being woefully out of form.

Kuyt could easily have had a second half hat-trick in Saturday's goalless draw at Blackburn and his current malaise was summed up two minutes from time when he blazed over from six yards with just goalkeeper Brad Friedel to beat.

The 27-year-old scored 14 times after his £9million transfer from Feyenoord in August last year but has struggled this season.

And although his work-rate remains among the best in the Barclays Premier League, his touch appears to have deserted him.

He has three goals in 13 matches this campaign but two of those were penalties in the Merseyside derby victory and the Dutchman is patently struggling.

However, with record signing Fernando Torres expected to be out for at least another couple of weeks with a torn adductor and Peter Crouch out of favour, Benitez has little option but to persist with Kuyt.

"When you miss chances and you have two or three, it means you are there. If you are not there, you cannot miss the chance," said the Spaniard after watching his side waste numerous opportunities in the second half at Ewood Park.

"I will not criticise Kuyt because he plays a lot of games and over 90 minutes his work rate is fantastic.

"He is creating chances. When you have a player who can create three or four chances for himself, normally sometimes he will score so I think I must be pleased and positive with Kuyt.

"We need to profit from the work he is doing up front and it will be easier for him to score if his team-mates can score the first goal."

Unfortunately his team-mates were in no better form when it came to beating Friedel, who denied Steven Gerrard twice and Ryan Babel before Crouch saw a header cleared off the line by David Bentley.

And to be fair to Kuyt, until Crouch's 72nd-minute arrival, he spent much of the match isolated up front as Benitez's tactic of playing Gerrard in a supporting role did not come off.

The draw - Liverpool's fifth in seven matches since they briefly went top of the table with a 6-0 win over Derby in early September - dropped the Anfield side to seventh.

However, they are only six points behind leaders Arsenal and have a match in hand of many of their rivals.

Benitez remains confident he can re-ignite the Reds as they head into the potentially-damaging November to January period.

"I said at the start of the season this one would be more difficult for everyone and you can see it is not easy to win games in a row," he added.

"With one game in hand, we can keep the team close to the top of the table. We have Daniel Agger, Xabi Alonso (both broken metatarsals), Fernando Torres coming back and I think we will be stronger in the next few months."

In contrast, Blackburn are exceeding expectations, one place above Liverpool having lost just one of their last 17 league matches.

With more good fortune, they could have been in the top four today as the woodwork twice denied them in the first half, while they had a shout for a penalty after the interval when Andre Ooijer's shot hit Jamie Carragher's outstretched arm.

In-form strikers Benni McCarthy and Roque Santa Cruz proved a handful throughout but it was Bentley who almost broke the deadlock with a shot that hit the outside of a post in the 35th minute.

Just seconds before the break, David Dunn's 20-yard strike with his weaker left foot bounced away to safety off the underside of the crossbar.

Had either of those chances gone in, the result could have been different but Rovers ended up clinging on to a point in a frenzied last 10 minutes.

"We have gone up against three of the top four (Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool) and we are unbeaten against them," said satisfied manager Mark Hughes.

"We have got Manchester United at the weekend and hopefully we can get the full set."

Hughes realistically admits his side will probably not sustain their challenge long enough to be in contention for Champions League places at the end of the season.

However, that will not stop him dreaming.

"It is a long season and we just have to be fortunate with injuries. We will be in the mix-up," Hughes said.

"Whether we will actually get one (a top-four place) is open to debate but we will be very much in the make up of the games to affect who gets in the Champions League.

"It is very difficult to break into the top four. Last year, Manchester United were champions of the Premier League and they go out and spend £50million."

Liverpool Investigate John Arne Riise Payslip

Merseyside Police have said they will not look into how Liverpool defender John Arne Riise's payslip was published on the internet.

Riise's home address, national insurance number and other personal details were circulated on Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal supporters' websites.

Liverpool will launch an investigation into how the 27-year-old's details, including his £139, 634 monthly pay packet were leaked into the public domain. Police will not take the matter any further as no complaint has been made.

"We are taking the matter extremely seriously and we are investigating," a Liverpool spokesman said.

"It must have been stolen but the player simply doesn't know how it has happened," a club insider said.

"I can assure you that John Arne Riise is not in the habit of throwing payslips out. It's clearly been stolen and taken without his permission. Nobody would want their details put all over the internet."

The Norwegian defender will be concerned that his home address has been released given that four of his Liverpool team-mates, José Manuel Reina, Peter Crouch, Jerzy Dudek and Daniel Agger have been burgled this year.

A source said: "There is a lot of delicate information about John now widely available on the net and it’s circulating like wildfire.

"John is particularly worried his address is out there in the open. There's the added concern that his national insurance number could be misused by fraudsters."

A quick search on the internet can see details of Riise's payslip which shows he was paid a basic monthly salary of £120,000, received £4,000 in appearance bonuses and a £250 "points bonus".

He was also awarded a Champions League salary increase of £15,384.62.

Rafa Benitez Backed By Owners' Game Plan

Rafael Benitez says that Liverpool’s American owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks, have reassured him he has their confidence to pursue his team development strategy irrespective of their fate in this year’s Champions League.

“I don’t think our spending longer term will depend on what we do in the Champions League,” Benitez said. “My meetings with the Americans – and we have talked about everything – has been about the plan we have. If we win more games it will be easier with more money, but the plan does not depend on this competition.

“The owners are very supportive. When you prepare a plan for a club it is not for one year, it is for a number of years. We have brought in new players and re-signed players as part of that plan. We have not talked about money but ideas and I think they are pleased with my ideas.

” Despite that backing, Benitez knows life will be easier if his team turn around their Champions League form and take the maximum points they seek from their remaining fixtures, starting with the Group A match with Besiktas on Tuesday.

Injuries deny him some of his better players, including Fernando Torres, but the Spaniard’s loss could be Peter Crouch’s gain. The Englishman, frustrated at his limited opportunities this season, could have an important role to play in Liverpool’s salvage job.

Benitez said: “All the players who are not playing regularly need to show that they want to play. When you’re in a top side and you are a winner you must show that mentality. Crouch is one of these players. “It’s important for us to win on Tuesday but sometimes the problem is that you set high standards, as we have done in the Champions League.

“We have confidence we can beat Besiktas and then progress. But this is the Champions League and you cannot be surprised we are in the position we are in.”

Blackburn 0 Liverpool 0

Liverpool's Barclays Premier League ambitions suffered another significant dent at Ewood Park where their shortcomings in front of goal were exposed by Blackburn in the goalless draw at Ewood Park.

Dirk Kuyt had three decent chances in the second half, Steven Gerrard had two and substitute Peter Crouch had a header cleared off the line as the lacklustre Reds were fortunate to escape with a point.

Before the break David Bentley hit the post and David Dunn smashed a shot against the crossbar as Rovers dominated.

Part of the problem for the visitors was the lack of presence on the forward line.

Manager Rafael Benitez left England striker Crouch on the bench which meant skipper Gerrard played in an advanced role behind Kuyt but it was an experiment which failed spectacularly.

Only when Crouch was introduced in the 72nd minute - with his international colleague dropping back to right midfield - did Liverpool look more threatening.

But title-winning campaigns are not built on strong performances in the last 18 minutes at places like Ewood Park and Benitez's side missed the chance to make up ground on top two Arsenal and Manchester United after they drew earlier in the day.

In a frenetic opening Benni McCarthy, scorer of five goals in his last four matches, produced a sublime piece of skill to turn Jamie Carragher but Sami Hyypia was on hand to swiftly clear the danger.

Neither side gave the other time to get the ball down and settle into a rhythm and Liverpool's short passing game continually took them down blind alleys.

Blackburn's first effort on target came when Morten Gamst Pedersen robbed Gerrard inside Rovers' half. David Bentley swung in a long cross which Roque Santa Cruz headed straight at Jose Reina.

Dunn was guilty of poor decision making in the 21st minute when he weaved his way past Javier Mascherano and Carragher but slipped the ball to Santa Cruz rather than shoot himself from the edge of the penalty area.

By contrast, Liverpool offered little going forward with Gerrard often collecting the ball too high up the pitch to utilise his strengths.

It took until the 30th minute for Liverpool to even threaten a shot but when John Arne Riise's left-wing cross fell at the feet of Kuyt and rebounded to Benayoun he saw his effort blocked by Stephen Warnock, playing against the club he left in January.

Blackburn continued to offer more up front and in the 35th minute Andre Ooijer's long ball was knocked on by Santa Cruz to Bentley who evaded Riise's tackle only to see his shot scrape the outside of Reina's left-hand post.

Liverpool finally managed a shot on target with five minutes of the half remaining when Babel cut back on to his right foot and curled a shot which Brad Friedel comfortably parried away.

Just before the break Dunn turned the ball on to his weaker left foot before crashing a 20-yard shot against the crossbar.

Liverpool opened the second half brighter with Babel having a volley deflected for a corner before Kuyt squandered two great chances.

On both occasions he cut in from the right but first rolled a shot into Friedel's arms and then failed to pick out the on-rushing Gerrard.

The visiting supporters had seen enough and began chanting

'attack, attack, attack' but Rovers, who replaced Dunn with the veteran Tugay 11 minutes into the second half, still looked the more likely to score.

With Liverpool crying out for some creativity Benitez turned to Harry Kewell just after the hour, despite the injury-prone Australian playing just 96 minutes of first-team football since limping out of the 2006 FA Cup final.

Babel made way but the action turned to the other end where Ooijer's shot deflected off Carragher's arm but referee Martin Atkinson ruled Rovers could only have a corner, which Santa Cruz headed over.

Liverpool were desperate for an injection of pace but with that unavailable Benitez turned to 6ft 7ins Crouch in the 72nd minute, with Benayoun departing.

In the 79th minute Gerrard burst through on the left of the area but his shot was blocked by Freidel.

And then when Crouch headed on Riise's left-wing corner Bentley cleared off the line.

The last 10 minutes were a complete turnaround as Liverpool poured forward and when Crouch nodded down to Gerrard the captain found Friedel in the way again.

And Kuyt's misery was complete when, having been set up by Kewell, he blazed over from five yards.

Teams:

Blackburn: Friedel, Ooijer, Samba, Nelsen, Warnock, Emerton, Bentley, Dunn (Kerimoglu 56), Pedersen, Santa Cruz, McCarthy (Derbyshire 89).

Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise, Benayoun (Crouch 72), Sissoko, Mascherano, Babel (Kewell 63), Gerrard, Kuyt.

Rafa Benitez Forced To Rely On Steven Gerrard

Rafa Benitez will ignore concerns from the Professional Footballers' Association about the risk of player burn-out by starting Steven Gerrard nine times in 29 days as Liverpool battle to keep their season alive.

Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the PFA, has raised concerns at the demands placed on Gerrard and other England internationals.

Yet having lost three key players to injury over the past few days, Benitez ruled out resting his captain as Liverpool face a fight to stay in Europe and play catch-up with Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea.

Gerrard, whose busy schedule over the past three weeks has taken him to Moscow with England and Istanbul with his club, starts his seventh game in 22 days at Blackburn today.

Liverpool's influential midfielder is also needed for Tuesday's must-win Champions League game with Besiktas as well as the home league game with Fulham four days later.

Benitez wanted to rest his captain against Cardiff in the Carling Cup on Wednesday but was forced to rethink his plans with Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres and Jermaine Pennant all suffering injuries.

To play every minute of every game is not the best situation," Benitez said. "But one thing is clear – with Alonso on the pitch Gerrard is important. When we are without Alonso he is even more important. When Gerrard was not playing well, the team was not playing well. He has been playing much better in the last two or three games and hopefully he will continue that run."

Gerrard has scored in each of his last three appearances to take his tally for the season to four, and Benitez believes he can repeat his feat of two seasons ago, when he contributed 22 goals.

"I would like to see him carry on scoring because he clearly has confidence now and is playing at the level that is expected of him," he said.

The visit to Blackburn is another must-win game for Benitez. Mark Hughes' side start one place and one point above the visitors, yet a Liverpool victory will leave them just three points behind the losers of the clash between Arsenal and Manchester United.

"I was talking with some of my players the other day about the situation," Benitez said. "It's really important to be close to the top of the table. Ewood Park is always a difficult place to play. It's more difficult to play against them this time because Blackburn are not only a very physical team, they are also playing well.

"Mark Hughes is doing a very good job and the understanding between the players and the strikers is very good. As well as winning games they are playing good football. It will be a very tough game for us."

Sissoko: I Must Improve

Many Reds' fans have been getting on the back of defensive midfielder Mohamed Sissoko in recent weeks. But in an interview with LFC Magazine, the Mali international made clear that nobody is more disappointed with his recent performances than him.

"At the beginning of this season I felt I was doing well but since then I haven't been happy with my performances," said Sissoko, who scored his first goal for the Reds in August's 2-0 win away to Sunderland.

One moment that particularly upset Sissoko was the Champions League defeat at home to struggling Ligue 1 side Olympique de Marseille.

"I have gone over it in my head. It was a really bad moment for me. The manager put me in the team and I played very, very ****," said the midfielder, displaying an honesty that one can only admire. "I know we didn't play well as a team but it was my mistake that led to the goal.

"I also know that this happens in football. I look at that situation and realise I have learned something new about the game. The manager told me not to worry too much. He reminded me that every player makes mistakes, and that I am still young and I will learn from it."

Taking Benítez' words on board, the 22-year-old is determined to plough on and work on a return to the sterling performances fans know he is capable of. "I had some good moments at the start of my Liverpool career," remembers Sissoko fondly.

Few can forget his tireless efforts in the FA Cup Final of 2006, or the way in which he destroyed Barcelona's creative midfielders as the Reds earned a famous 2-1 victory at Camp Nou.

Javier Mascherano Attracts Barcelona

Liverpool face a serious battle to retain the services of Javier Mascherano after it emerged that Barcelona are determined to take the Argentina midfield player to the Nou Camp at the end of the season.

Mascherano joined Liverpool in January in an unusual lease arrangement, with the Merseyside club paying a loan fee not to West Ham United, his previous club, but to Media Sports Investment, the company that holds his “economic rights”. Under the terms of the midfield player’s 18-month loan, Liverpool can make the deal permanent by buying him outright from MSI for £17 million before June 30 next year, but their hopes of securing his services in the long term seem certain to come under threat from Barcelona.

Liverpool remain confident of their prospects of holding on to Mascherano, who has revived his career on Merseyside after a miserable spell at West Ham and who recently stated his desire to “stay for a long time”. But Barcelona could complicate the situation, having made their interest in the Argentina player known via a third party. A transfer to Spain was initially Mascherano’s preference before he made his ill-fated move to West Ham in August 2006.

Having recovered from the bruised foot he suffered in the closing stages of the 1-1 Premier League draw with Arsenal last weekend, Mascherano has an important role to play in the coming weeks - starting away to Blackburn Rovers this evening - particularly given the absence of Xabi Alonso. The Spain midfield player faces at least three weeks on the side-lines after breaking a metatarsal in his left foot, for the second time this season, against Arsenal.

But Rafael BenÍtez, the manager, can also call on Steven Gerrard, even though Gordon Taylor, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, has expressed concerns about the workload, with club and country, of England’s players. “With Xabi on the pitch, Gerrard is important,” BenÍtez said. “Without Xabi, he is even more important.”

Fernando Torres hopes to be back in action earlier than was first thought after making encouraging progress in his recovery from a groin injury.

“People were talking about three to four weeks, but it just depends on how the adductor evolves, so I’ve just got to hope it will be sooner than that,” the Spain forward said. “I’m getting better and working really hard with the physios. Let’s just hope I’ll be in perfect condition to play soon and that that will be an end to the injuries this season.”

EPL Preview: Blackburn Rovers vs. Liverpool

Quite recently Blackburn Rovers player Christopher Samba mildly chastised the media for not adequately highlighting his club’s awesome league form, something he regards as a dereliction of duty on the part of columnists.

Being 6'5" and nicknamed “King Kong” by his team-mates leads one to suggest that not many journalists will want to add their names to the giant defender’s offenders list; however, all politeness aside, the Congolese international does have a point.

For the size and resources of such a club, Rovers are riding an impressive streak of form. Currently lying 5th, one point more it should be mentioned than Saturday’s opponents Liverpool after the same amount of games, Rovers certainly have climbed the league largely unnoticed.

In fact you have to go back more than a month to September 23rd to find Blackburn’s last loss, a 0-1 home reverse against Portsmouth which remains their only defeat in 12 games.

Since then they have embarked on a seven-match winning run in all competitions. Throw in the little detail that they have held Arsenal and Chelsea to draws and you might be forgiven for thinking Blackburn’s run bears hallmarks of title-winning form.

Which is why manager Mark Hughes deserves plaudits for the manner in which he has combined Rover’s past robust nature with a proficiency in the last third, to lead his side to only a margin of goal-difference away from a Champions League spot.

In contrast Liverpool have paraded rather patchy form in all competitions, with routine wins coming after unexpected draws followed by the occasional shock defeat, all of which reveals a telling tale, one the Reds admit to themselves, in that they have yet to find their real rhythm.

Injuries, of course, haven’t helped, resulting in the crucial pairings down the spine of the team becoming unbalanced due to the continued absence of messrs Alonso, Agger, Mascherano and Torres.

Nonetheless, as much as Rafael Benitez concluded another week by dodging yet more arrows of criticism for his selections, rotations and tactics, it has gone rather overlooked in some quarters that the Reds officially have the best away record in the league. The home form may raise some eyebrows on Merseyside, but the travelling contingent can have no complaints from four wins and a draw on the road.

All of which leads quite nicely to suggest that Blackburn Rovers versus Liverpool at Ewood Park might just sneak in under the radar to become the fixture of the week.

Although Liverpool can be proud of their away form this season, they still will not look forward to entering Ewood Park with the home side in such buoyant mood, as Mark Hughes all too clearly outlines:

“We are in great heart at the moment. We’ve good players who believe no matter which team we play we can give teams a game. We play good football”

One crucial piece of the ‘final’ Liverpool jigsaw was believed to be found with the £23m summer purchase of Fernando Torres, who came with the promise of curing the Reds' lack of dexterity in front of goal.

Speak to Scousers and they will tell you a mixture of international call-ups, injuries, form and fitness have all curtailed his settling-in period. Fortunately for the men of Lancashire, goal-scoring worries rarely arise when South African Benni McCarthy is on the scene, and even former expert goal-scorer Alan Shearer has become a fan of last year’s £3m purchase:

“He is great coup for Mark Hughes, I am surprised other teams did not have a pop at McCarthy” – who could you possibly mean Shearer…maybe Chelsea, United or even Liverpool?

It is always entertaining to hear Plymouth’s outspoken manager Ian Holloway deliver his take on life’s proceedings, but this time he has touched on a contentious issue that arose in mid-week and one that shall be closely followed in the Premiership fixtures this weekend. The Bristolian was commenting on PFA chief Gordon Taylor’s warning, echoed by Phil Neville, that top England stars such as Steven Gerrard are already suffering burn-out from playing too much football:

“Personally I think that's absolute codswallop. I used to play Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon and Sunday from the ages of 10-14.

“My heart bleeds for them - the richest burnt-out people I've ever met in my life. Your career's short - you've got to play as many games as you can.”

FORM GUIDE

Blackburn

31 Oct v Portsmouth (A) WON 1-2 (Carling Cup)
28 Oct v Tottenham (A) WON 1-2 (Prem)
20 Oct v Reading (H) WON 4-2 (Prem)
07 Oct v Birmingham (H) WON 2-1 (Prem)
04 Oct v Larissa (H) WON 2-1 (Uefa Cup)
29 Sept v Sunderland (A) WON 1-2 (Prem)

Liverpool

31 Oct v Cardiff (H) WON 2-1 (Carling Cup)
28 Oct v Arsenal (H) DREW 1-1 (Prem)
24 Oct v Besiktas (A) LOST 2-1 (CL)
20 Oct v Everton (A) WON 1-2 (Prem)
07 Oct v Tottenham (H) DREW 2-2 (Prem)
03 Oct v Marseille (H) LOST 0-1 (CL)

TEAM NEWS

Blackburn

Hughes lauded his battling midfielder, Aaron Mokoena, who although injured, continues to cover admirably in the absence of regular ‘defensive shield’ Robbie Savage.

Mokoena picked up his leg injury in the midweek Carling Cup victory over Portsmouth, as did David Bentley with his shin bruising. But both are expected to make the starting line-up.

Otherwise long-term injured Steven Reid and Jason Roberts join Savage as Rovers only absentees..

Squad: Friedel, Brown, Emerton, Nelsen, Samba, Ooijer, Warnock, Berner, Bentley, Dunn, Pedersen, Santa Cruz, McCarthy, Derbyshire, Tugay, Mokoena, Rigters, Khizanishvili, Treacy.

Liverpool

Liverpool welcomes Fabio Aurelio, Alvaro Arbeloa and Javier Mascherano back from niggling injuries for the trip to Ewood Park.

The returning trio will provide much-needed steel for a tough away trip, whilst another in a long-line of ‘returns’ for much-maligned winger Harry Kewell is scheduled for tomorrow.

The rarely seen Australian did make an injury reoccurrence-free appearance in the midweek Carling Cup win, and his availability will at least give Benitez a further option in a depleted attack as Torres joins Agger and Alonso in the long-term treatment room.

Squad: Reina, Finnan, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise, Aurelio, Benayoun, Babel, Gerrard, Sissoko, Mascherano, Lucas, Crouch, Kuyt, Voronin, Itandje, Kewell, Hobbs.

WATCH OUT FOR

Blackburn

Benni McCarthy. Compared against his blistering debut season for Rovers in which he scored 19 goals, McCarthy made a somewhat slow start second-time round. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that the mooted big-money transfer to a ‘big-four’ club didn’t materialise.

Not that Hughes cares, for the player’s all-round ability and predatory instincts were back with a bang in midweek, leading his manager to officially announce the striker’s return to golden form just in time for the Liverpool showdown.

"I thought Benni McCarthy was absolutely magnificent.

"I took a lot of pleasure watching him. His retention of the ball and his work in tight areas was a joy to watch.

"He was always in there looking for scoring chances. He's back where he should be at."

Liverpool

Steven Gerrard. Although the midweek opposition was Championship side Cardiff, Gerrard, much like McCarthy, did display telling signs that he is somewhere near returning to his highest level of performance. Against Arsenal last week he was stood alongside Jamie Carragher as probably Liverpool’s best player. With a goal and an assist from midweek added to the “sweetly struck” blasted goal against the Gunners, perhaps Gerrard really is only a game away from exploding into the world-class star we know he is.

However, with the PFA chief stirring a hornet’s nest with comments about players suffering “burn-out”, and specifically pointing at Gerrard, then maybe a few more eyes may be on the England international looking intently for signs of wear and tear rather than a match-winning spectacle.

Rafa And Gerrard Back Leiva To Shine

Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard and manager Rafa Benitez have backed midfielder Lucas Leiva to shine at Anfield.

The 20-year-old arrived at Liverpool in the summer and has been slowly accruing pitch time since, most recently against Cardiff City in the Carling Cup on Wednesday.

His midfield partner for the game, Steven Gerrard, has been impressed with how quickly the Brazilian has settled in England.

"He could have had the winner in the derby on his league debut and there aren't many players who can say that," he told the club’s official website.

"It is always difficult for new players to come on in the derby, especially when they're used to playing a different style of football in a different country. But Lucas came on and acquitted himself well.

"I've seen enough of him in training and in games to know that he has got a great future.

"He is only a young lad but once he picks up more experience and if he keeps on doing the right things in training and listening to the right people, then I'm sure he will go on to be a great player."

Lucas' appearances from the bench so far this season have also impressed boss Rafa Benitez, who revealed that fans can expect to see more and more of the Brazil international as the campaign progresses.

Benitez said: "He is the captain of the Brazilian under-21 team and he has already won a cap for the first team, so we knew all about his quality.

"It is not as if he was playing for one of the smaller countries. It is Brazil and it is really difficult for a player to play for such a big team at such a young age.

"So we were happy to sign him, and I am sure we will see more and more of him as the season goes on."

Benitez Expects Xabi Boost

Rafa Benitez is hoping Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso can return to action within two weeks.

Alonso made his comeback from six weeks out with a broken metatarsal against Arsenal on Sunday, only to suffer a new foot injury.

Liverpool confirmed earlier in the week that X-rays had shown a fracture to the Spaniard's fourth metatarsal and were unsure how long the player would be sidelined.

But, speaking after The Reds' 2-1 win over Cardiff City in the Carling Cup, Benitez revealed his expectation that Alonso would be available again in a fortnight.

"That's the idea we have," Benitez told Sky Sports News.

"So (Fernando) Torres and him, maybe (Daniel) Agger, can be fit in two weeks."

Steven Gerrard scored the winning goal against Cardiff, but Benitez admits his captain was not originally scheduled to play in the fourth-round tie.

The Liverpool boss said: "I would have wanted really to leave Steven out of the match, but we have too many injuries and Momo (Sissoko) was sick again, so he had to play.

"And in the end he was the one who scored the vital goal. Cardiff worked very hard and were always dangerous from set-pieces, and that is where their equaliser came from.

"But then Gerrard got through to score a typical goal. His form is coming back, as are his goals. That is three now in successive games."

Agger, Torres & Mascherano Latest

Rafa Benitez has been boosted by news Javier Mascherano is back in training after recovering from a knock sustained against Arsenal at the weekend.

The Liverpool boss is also hopeful of having Fernando Torres back in two weeks, slightly less than originally thought.

Benitez said: "It is the same problem as before with Fernando. Hopefully he can be fit in two weeks.

"We thought he was ready for the Arsenal game and during the match I asked him two or three times if he was okay because clearly he wasn't fit. He is not the sort of player who normally gets injuries and that's the reason he didn't feel what he had. That was the problem.

"Javier is okay. He trained today and so we've had good luck with him."

Meanwhile, Daniel Agger, who hasn't featured since Portsmouth on September 15, is still 10-16 days away from a return following a metatarsal break.

Benitez added: "He is continuing to progress but with this kind of injury he needs time. I think we need to wait another 10-16 days."

Liverpool are still waiting news on Xabi Alonso, who is due to see a specialist today.

Double Boost For Benitez

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is hopeful striker Fernando Torres will make a quicker-than-expected return from a thigh problem.

The club's record signing was withdrawn at half-time in Sunday's 1-1 draw against Arsenal - on his return after missing two matches with an adductor injury - and it was anticipated he would be out for a further three weeks.

However, Benitez believes the Spain international may return sooner.

"It is the same problem as before with Fernando. Hopefully he can be fit in two weeks," said the manager.

"We thought he was ready for the Arsenal game and during the match I asked him two or three times if he was okay because clearly he wasn't fit.

"He is not the sort of player who normally gets injuries and that's the reason he didn't feel what he had. That was the problem."

There was better news on Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano, who hobbled through the closing stages of the draw against the Gunners with a bruised foot.

"Javier is okay. He trained today and so we've had good luck with him," Benitez added.

The Reds boss is still awaiting news on how long he will be without Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso, who is seeing a specialist about a broken metatarsal - his second of the season.

Centre-back Daniel Agger, who has not played since September 15 after also breaking a metatarsal, is still two weeks away from fitness.

"He is continuing to progress but with this kind of injury he needs time. I think we need to wait another 10-16 days," Benitez told the club's website, www.liverpoolfc.tv.

Aston Villa Linked With Record Bid For Liverpool’s Peter Crouch

According to widespread reports in England on Wednesday, Aston Villa are ready to break club record in their attempt to sign Liverpool striker Peter Crouch in January.

The Villans had signed attacker Ashley Young for club record £9.65 million from Watford during January this year.

Crouch, who has been a target for speculation since end of last season with Newcastle United linked to the England international, had been largely unsuccessful when he was with Villa from 2002-2004 scoring only six goals in 47 Premiership appearances.

He was then sold to Southampton, from where after a year he joined Liverpool.

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has stressed time and again that Crouch firmly remains in his plans and he is not for sale.

Liverpool’s Carragher Tips Crouch To Step Up In Torres Absence

Liverpool vice-captain Jamie Carragher has suggested Peter Crouch can step up to the challenge of replacing Reds’ record-signing Fernando Torres, who is out injured for three weeks.

Torres had made an instant impact after his switch to Anfield from Atletico Madrid in the summer. But an adductor injury, first in training for Spain recently, and then in the return to action against Arsenal, have laid him low.

Crouch, who has reportedly revealed his displeasure at not having enough opportunities this season after having been the top-scorer for the Reds last term, took the field in the second half against the Gunners as Torres was injured.

Carragher said in the Liverpool Daily Post: “Unfortunately we have picked up some more injuries. Torres will be a big loss, but Peter Crouch was excellent when he came on.”

Meanwhile Reds boss Rafa Benitez will learn the extent of Xabi Alonso’s metatarsal injury today, as the Spanish midfielder suffered the injury during his comeback against Arsenal after five weeks out with a similar injury.

Torres: I've Found My Mersey Paradise

Fernando Torres insists he has no intention of returning to Spain for a long time, after insisting he feels "comfortable" at Liverpool.

Torres quit Atletico Madrid - the club he had been at since the age of 11 - this summer to move to Anfield in a deal that reportedly cost the Reds a club-record £21million transfer fee.

It was a massive decision for the Spaniard to leave his hometown club, but now he is in England, the 23-year-old admits he cannot see himself going back to Spain at least until his six-year deal with Liverpool runs out.

"I am going to complete my contract with Liverpool at the very least. I am comfortable at this great club. Here you are respected as a great player," he said on Radio Marca.

"You are going to grounds with the feeling that you are going to win. I am not planning to return to Spain, neither now nor for many years.

"The support of the fans has been phenomenal. Here the people see you on the street and they greet you like a friend.

"In the stadia, when you are substituted at a rival ground, the public applauds you. It is certainly a different way of seeing football for me."

Torres, who has scored seven goals in 13 first-team appearances for Liverpool so far, is currently sidelined with an adductor injury he suffered against Arsenal at the weekend and is set to be out for around three weeks.

That could rule him out of Spain's potentially critical European Championship qualifier against Group F leaders Sweden on November 17.

Liverpool Boosted By Harry Kewell Return

Harry Kewell will make his belated return to the Liverpool first team for Wednesday’s Carling Cup clash against Cardiff.

The Australian winger has been sidelined since suffering a groin injury while playing for his country in the Asian Cup over the summer.

However, Kewell made a goalscoring return to action for the reserves at the weekend and now has the chance to prove he has a future on Merseyside following the summer acquisitions of Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun.

Liverpool are expected to rest several first-choice players, including goalkeeper Jose Reina, who has branded the injury crisis threatening to overwhelm the club's season as a "pain in the backside."

The Liverpool No 1 was dismayed to see his fellow Spaniards Xabi Alonso and Fernando Torres sidelined after suffering recurrences of existing injuries in Sunday's 1-1 draw with Arsenal, and says the setbacks could hardly have come at a worse time.

Liverpool must beat Besiktas at Anfield next week to survive in the Champions League and they cannot afford to lose any more ground to Arsenal and Manchester United in the Premier League title race.

Reina said: "The injuries are a big problem. We have had far too many in the last few months. Now we have another injury to Fernando and another to Xabi.

"When important players are recovering and coming back into the side and then they get injured again, it is always difficult."

Liverpool are still waiting to hear how long they will be without midfielder Alonso, who has suffered a metatarsal fracture, while Torres is expected to be out for three weeks with a torn adductor muscle.

The only consolation for under-pressure manager Rafael Benitez is that the foot injury suffered by Javier Mascherano on Sunday is not as serious as first feared.

Benitez, however, is already without winger Jermaine Pennant with a stress fracture of the shin, and first-choice centre-back Daniel Agger, who is still recovering from his own broken metatarsal.

The loss of Torres is probably the biggest blow to Benitez, though. The Spaniard had to be withdrawn at half-time on Sunday and Liverpool's cutting edge was significantly reduced as a result.

Peter Crouch is expected to make only his sixth start of the season on Wednesday and the England striker is desperate to make an impact.

He said: "I was pleased to get on against Arsenal, even though it wasn't in the circumstances I would have liked with Fernando getting injured. You always want your best players on the pitch and hopefully he won't be out for too long.

"From my point of view I haven't had too many chances this season and so I have to take them when they come along. It's going to be a long season, we have a big squad and everybody will get games at some point. I just know that whenever I play I have to perform.

"Players are greedy and they want to play every week but it's not possible. We know there could be anything up to 70 matches this season and we understand what the manager is trying to do."

Liverpool Tell Benítez League Title Is A Must

Liverpool's manager, Rafael Benítez, will have to guide his team to the Premier League title to justify the £40m the club invested in new players in the summer, according to the club's co-owner Tom Hicks.

Speaking 24 hours after Liverpool's prospects of qualifying for the knock-out stage of the Champions League were severely dented by a 2-1 defeat by Besiktas in Turkey, Hicks said the domestic trophy remained the club's priority. Benítez based his pre-season approach to the American owners of the club on a challenge for the Premier League title, impressing on them the need for more strength in depth if he were to mount a credible challenge to Manchester United and Chelsea.

Hicks and George Gillett acceded to his wishes, investing £26.5m in Fernando Torres and £11.5m on the Ajax winger Ryan Babel. Hicks pledged his support for a coach who has often seemed more at home in European competition than the domestic fray. But in comments that will increase the pressure on Benítez to deliver a title the club have not won for 17 years Hicks implied he and Gillett are expecting a swift return on their investment.

"One of the reasons we made the signings we did in the summer was to create the depth we now have. Rafa explained to George and me that is how you win the Prem, because you have to play every team twice," Hicks said. "We totally support Rafa, nobody wants to win more than Rafa. But I know when we committed the resources for signings in the summer the whole idea was to have a team that could compete for the Premier League. We've not had the depth previously to do that.

"This squad is good enough to win things. It should be winning things. If it doesn't we'll have to look at the circumstances and have a meeting at the end of the year to understand what happened. I don't want to predict failure, I want to predict success."

Benítez demanded extensive investment from Liverpool's new owners after May's defeat by Milan in the European Cup final, a second final appearance in three seasons that he claimed represented an over-achievement for the squad at his disposal. The Liverpool manager said dithering in the transfer market had cost the club major targets in recent seasons - including Daniel Alves at Seville, the former Benfica captain Simão Sabrosa and Florent Malouda this summer - and it was against this backdrop, plus an implied threat from the Spaniard that he would consider his future if finances were not forthcoming, that the Americans eventually acted.

Liverpool's struggles in Europe this season contrast with their success in winning the tournament in 2005 and reaching last year's final but Hicks acknowledged that the supporters crave the Premier League title.

"Our fans, I can tell from just talking to them, want to win the Premier League. They haven't won the top title in 17 years and I know their passions really are that they want to win the Premier League.

Hicks remains confident that Liverpool can qualify for the Champions League knockout round but said failure would not impact on current attempts to refinance the club. The Americans personally guaranteed a loan of £298m from the Royal Bank of Scotland to buy the club but a recent attempt to refinance the loan collapsed. Hicks said he was close to agreeing a deal and Champions League failure would not impact on negotiations.

"The package will be completed within 30 days, but I don't want to comment any further on the details," he said. "In terms of budgeting we've got it covered either way, and we've got our work cut out [to qualify]. If we didn't qualify, it would be terribly disappointing but I'm an optimist and I think we're going to win our next two at home and then we have a big match in Marseille. I think we can get out of the group," he said.