Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez will keep Real Madrid guessing until the last moment over his side for Tuesday's Champions League clash at Anfield.
The Reds are 1-0 ahead from the first leg of their last-16 clash, and are favourites to complete the job against the Spanish champions and reach the quarter-finals.
But Benitez's planning is being handicapped by injuries to Fernando Torres, Alvaro Arbeloa and Yossi Benayoun, the goalscoring hero of the win in the Bernabeu a fortnight ago.
Torres, recovering from an ankle injury, has trained for the past two days and will have another session today before Benitez makes his decision on the Spain striker.
He may not be risked from the start with Saturday's Premier League trip to Manchester United in mind.
Arbeloa is struggling with a hamstring injury while Benayoun is almost certainly out with a hamstring pull suffered in training.
They are crucial injury problems for Benitez, with Arbeloa's involvement critical if he is to keep Javier Mascherano in midfield and not deploy him as an emergency full-back.
Ryan Babel, Lucas and David Ngog would all come into consideration if none of the trio is available.
Benitez said: ''If Arbeloa plays, it controls my selections for the rest of the team. Torres needs another training session and Benayoun is very likely to be out. I will give all of them every chance to make the side and a decision will be a late one.''
No comments :
Post a Comment