Rafa: Door still open for Owen

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has left the door open for Michael Owen to return to Anfield permanently one day.

The England striker, now at Newcastle, will on Boxing Day make his first appearance at Anfield since leaving to join Real Madrid in 2004.

He returned to the Premiership at the start of this season but joined Newcastle, not Liverpool, as his former club were priced out by United's £17million offer. Owen's exit from Liverpool came soon after Benitez's arrival. But the former Valencia coach insisted he had been keen to sign him this year and would still welcome him back in the future.

"Sure, why not?" he said. "He is a good player and good players are always interesting to other clubs."

Liverpool sold Owen, now 26, for a cut-price £8million plus Madrid reserve player Antonio Nunez and the Reds maintained they could not justify paying more than double that to re-capture their former golden boy.

"What is clear is that we tried to sign him and he knows we tried to sign him," said Benitez. "It is impossible if another club makes a bid of such big money. It is difficult to say we must spend that money on a player that one year before we sold for much less. "There were several reasons why it didn't happen in the summer: the price, the time, the decision of Michael and the fact that we already had good strikers at the club. All of these things together made it impossible to change the situation in such a short space of time."

"He had a good offer from a good team and he decided to go there. He is a good professional but we had to think about the club, because we already had good strikers and it was almost impossible. "I was talking with him, we tried to the end but he decided on Newcastle. We cannot change these things. "The only possibility was for him to say he didn't want to go to Newcastle. But he decide to go there, even up to the last day we tried. "I had permission from Real Madrid to talk to him and I did. But in the end he decided to go somewhere else. We couldn't do anything."

Owen had spoken out just the day before talking about the hectic few weeks leading up to the transfer deadline in the summer. "Looking back on those mad few weeks, the one thing that no one can say about me is that I was not up front and honest. I had narrowed it down to three options and, all the way through, I made it plain exactly where they stood. As I said at the time, Liverpool were my first choice, Newcastle my second. The third was staying at Real.

"I had to look after my England place and I had to look after myself. I would always prefer to be playing rather than twiddling my thumbs. The buzz from playing is irreplaceable. Every footballer wants to feel valued and I have had that in spades from the Newcastle people. "They understood why Liverpool was my first choice. I had spent more than a decade there and I did think I would be going back when I met Rick Parry and Benítez just before the transfer deadline.

"We had discussed the wages and all the nitty-gritty of a contract, so I have no doubts that their interest was genuine, whatever you may have heard. But it was difficult for them because they had sold me for £8.5million and were being asked to pay considerably more to take me back. They had to make their own financial decisions."

Reds International Roundup

Liverpool players didn't fair too well today in their various international World Cup Qualifying matches:

• Steven Gerrard & Jamie Carragher were part of the England team that suffered one of the most humiliating setbacks in their history as a David Healy goal earned Northern Ireland a shock 1-0 win in a World Cup qualifier in Belfast. On-loan LFC keeper Chris Kirkland was an unused sub on the bench, while Stephen Warnock failed to make the squad.
  England now trail Poland, who are top and 5 points clear with one more game played than England. The two team will meet in the final group game. England will need to beat Austria and Poland to qualify top, anything less will see England in a play-off spot (which is secure). Liverpool's Jersy Dudek is expected to have recovered from injury in time to play that final game.
  
  
• John Arne Riise was part of the Norway team that lost to Scotland, which has really blown apart the race for the second spot in Group 5.
  Norway are still in second spot, but now they lie a virtually insurmountable 5 points behind leaders Italy and in joint second with Slovenia, their victors today are a mere two points adrift and still in with a shout of making the play-offs. (England v Scotland anyone?)
  
  
• Xabi Alonso and his Spanish team were held to a 1-1 draw in Spain by Serbia and Montenegro. Jose "Pepe" Reina and Luis Garcia were on the bench, while Morientes pick-up an injury before the game and was unable to play.
  Group seven is wide open, where Spain now lie second behind today's adversaries, just two points adrift but also only 1 and 3 points clear of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Belgium (respectively), the later who they play next and must beat, before taking on minnows San Marino in the final group game.
  
  
• Sami Hyypia's Finland destroyed fellow Group One competitor 5-1, but a win by Old Boy Milan Baros' Czech Republic side have now made the unlikely now impossible as Finland have no chance of qualifying for next years finals.
  
  
• Djibril Cisse was a late second-half substitute for France as they beat unused substitute Steve Finnan's Republic of Ireland 1-0 in Dublin.
  France are should be all but through from Group four which they jointly lead with Switzerland (their next opponents), before facing Cyprus in their final group game. The Republic must hope that France win their next game while they dispose of Cyprus, to have any chance of qualifying by beating Switzerland in the final game. However, anything less than two wins by the Republic and two points by France will see Israel (who only have Group 4 whipping boys, the Faroe Islands to beat) qualify ahead of them, along with the Swiss.
  

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Most likely outcomes:

Group 1: Sami Hyypia's Finland are already out.
Group 4: Cisse's France should qualify from Group 4, either as automatic qualifiers or in the play-offs. Finnan's Republic of Ireland is a little more unsure, as long as France beat Switzerland, they should have a good chance of beating the Swiss on home soil.
Group 5: Should see Riise's Norway advance (most likely though the playoffs) as they only have two games against bottom teams Belarus and Moldova, Meanwhile Scotland and Slovenia must face each other in the final game, this after Slovenia have played Italy. For Scotland to qualify ahead of Norway, Norway would have to fail to win one of their two remaining games, while Slovenia would have to beat Italy and Scotland by greater goal margins than the Norwegians do in the final two games - both scenarios are extremely unlikely.
Group 6: England are assured at least a play-off spot, but will need to beat both Poland and Austria, to secure top spot and automatic qualification. Both games are at home and England will have a better than fair chance of going top after the final game.
Group 7: As long as they can overcome fellow challengers Belgium in their next game, Spain should qualify with their last game against lowly San Marino. Serbia and Montenegro home game to Bosnia-Herzegovina will determine whether they finish top or in a play-off spot.

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Predictions:

Group 1: No "Last Hurrah" World Cup for Sami.
Group 4: Cisse will sing from the top of the group.
Finnan will be spending his summer on the beach.
Group 5: A play-off spot for Riise.
Group 6: Gerrard, Carragher, Kirkland, Crouch and Warnock will top the group.
Jersey will hope for a easy play-off opponent.
Group 7: The class of Xabi, Garcia and Jose, should bring Spain to the top, but Serbian strength will break their hearts and send them to the play-offs.

Blessing or Blow?

Liverpool striker Fernando Morientes has been sidelined for up to two weeks by the injury he picked up in training.

The former Real Madrid man was forced to withdraw from the Spanish squad on Tuesday night after injuring his hamstring in the final training session before Spain face Serbia and Montenegro.

Tests by medical staff with the Spanish team confirmed that the 29-year-old Liverpool forward had sustained an injury to his left thigh.

In remarks reported on the www.marca.es website, team doctor Genaro Borras said: "We have done the relevant tests this morning and we have discovered that he is suffering a micro-rupture of the femoral biceps in the left leg.

"It's an injury that we estimate will sideline him for a period of between 10 days and a fortnight."

The Spaniard's hamstring injury puts Djibril Cisse firmly in the spotlight. Cisse had been said to complain that he was being touted around Europe in the transfer window, but manager Rafael Benitez dismissed those suggestions and now clearly expects him to knuckle down.

Benitez said: "Cisse knows what he has to do for us, work hard, try to score goals and stay fit all season. And not to let other things distract him.

"The rumours about Cisse were already going around long before we beat CSKA Moscow in the Super Cup last week, and he still managed to score two goals for us that night."

Now Cisse will get his chance to play as Liverpool's main frontman, probably alongside Peter Crouch, ironically the partnership which has so far this term looked Liverpool's most productive. And it's from this point of view a Liverpool fan would have to wonder whether Nando's injury is a blessing or a blow. Morrientes has still to convince Red fans that he is up to the job of leading their attack, something that Benitez himself has no doubt about. However, good displays from a prelonged exposure, say for 2 or 3 games, to a Crouch-Cisse partnership may be enough to convince Rafa to do what most fans think and not put all your hopes in the ageing ex-Madrid striker.

The height and awkwardness of the former Southampton man complimented the pace and movement of Cisse in previous games, while Morientes' form has been patchy to say the least this term.

It is anything but ideal for Benitez, who during the summer transfer window made some dramatic decisions about his strike force by selling last season's top scorer Milan Baros to Aston Villa, and sending youngster Anthony Le Tallec out on a season-long loan to Sunderland that cannot be reversed. He thenfailed in his bid to bring Owen back to Anfield when Newcastle's club-record bid blew Liverpool out of the transfer negotiations.

New striker Crouch, a £7million signing from Southampton, is at last available again after a hamstring injury and suspension ruled him out of the opening games of the season, but although he will be in the squad at Spurs he is hardly match-fit, while Florent Sinama-Pongolle has only just returned to action following his broken leg suffered last February in the Carling Cup at Spurs. Meanwhile, Neil Mellor, who was also nearly sold (to Sheffield United) before the transfer window shut, is still recovering from a shin operation.

All this brings Cisse firmly into the equation. He suffered an ankle injury for France in the win over the Faroe Islands at the weekend but will now find himself centre stage at Anfield in the coming weeks.

Everton Champions League

Solano pride at LFC link

Aston Villa winger Nolberto Solano is flattered to be a target for Liverpool, and has revealed he would jump at the chance of a move to Liverpool.

Reds boss Rafa Benitez is desperate to strengthen his right flank and enquired about the availability of Solano.

Reports had suggested that Benitez was hoping to tempt Villa into letting him have Solano as a makeweight in the Midlands club's bid to sign Milan Baros.

Villa are understood to have offered £6million for Baros, plus a further £500,000 in add-ons as manager David O'Leary is desperate to strengthen his strikeforce.

However, O'Leary has apparently been trumped by a bid of £8.5million from Lyon, with money burning a hole in the pockets of president Jean-Michael Aulas after the £24.4million departure of Michael Essien to Chelsea.

Although O'Leary is unaware of any offer from Liverpool for 30-year-old Solano, and Reds manager Rafael Benitez has conceded no bid has been made, the Peruvian has added fuel to the fire surrounding his future.

Villa manager David O'Leary gave the interest short shrift and insists Solano will not be leaving the club.

Solano has been an instrumental figure during his 18 months at Villa Park and the former Newcastle United man has not voiced a desire to leave.

But the 30-year-old concedes it is an honour to be wanted by Benitez, although he will leave a decision on his future in the hands of O'Leary.

"Anyone would be proud to be asked for by Benitez," said Solano.

"He is a coach that has won a lot with Valencia and now with Liverpool.

"But the decision does not depend on me, but the club, with whom I have a contract for the next year."

"It is fantastic when a big club comes in for a player," said Solano.

"Ask any player in the world if they would love to play for a big club, and everyone would love to.

"I won't say 'no, I don't want to go to Liverpool' because they are a big club who want to challenge to win titles, and any player would love to go to Liverpool.

"If you ask any player what they would do if a big club came in for them - Manchester United, Chelsea or Liverpool - everybody would love to go there."

Solano has less than a year remaining on his current contract, however, there has been no suggestion of Villa opening talks on a new deal, although O'Leary intimated yesterday the club were happy to wait until the turn of the year.

Solano, though, appears to be keeping his options open as he added in the Evening Mail: "I only have one more year left and as to whether I stay at Villa, nobody has said anything to me yet.

"To be honest, I just want to only play and we will see what happens. I do not have to renew my contract until the end of the season, until June probably.

"The club could go four or five months to decide what they want to do with me, whether to sign a contract or let me go somewhere.

"But for the moment I want to stay [in the Premier League] and to play here because the Premier League is very exciting for me. Everybody loves it right now.

"But it's not in my hands. It is down to the manager and the club. Of course, if I had the chance of another contract at Villa it would interest me.

"I was very pleased with this club when I moved here and you see the response when I still try to do my best for this club."

Though O'Leary is anxious to bring Baros to the club from Liverpool, he would be reluctant to allow Solano to head in the opposite direction, particularly as the Peruvian would be looked upon as the man to create chances for the Czech striker.

LFC v Sunderland Preview

Liverpool welcome newly promoted Sunderland to Anfield for the first home Premiership fixture of the season.

Mick McCarthy's side suffered disappointment in their first game as they went down 3-1 at home to a Danny Murphy inspired Charlton Athletic.

On loan Liverpool midfielder Anthony Le Tallec didn't feature against Charlton and was an unused substitute. Le Tallec won't figure at Anfield on Saturday as Premier League rules prevent him playing against his registered team.

Manager Mick McCarthy was dealt a bitter blow when it was confirmed that full-back Stephen Wright would be out of action for three months after suffering medial knee ligament damage in training.

Sunderland have suffered another injury blow with striker Kevin Kyle ruled out until the New Year after a second hip operation.

Wright misses out on a first return to Anfield since a £3million move three years ago and with left-back George McCartney just returning to full-time training, McCarthy will hand a Premiership debut to Nyron Nosworthy.

One of 10 newcomers to the squad, 24-year-old Nosworthy was signed on a free transfer from Gillingham and made his 200th career appearance as a substitute in last week's home defeat by Charlton.

"Stephen Wright will be a huge loss to us," said McCarthy. "His personality as well as his character around the place will be missed.

"He puts everything into his game and while it's disappointing for us, it's more disappointing for him after all the hard work he put in last season to get us into the Premiership."

Defender George McCartney and goalkeeper Ben Alnwick have resumed full-time training while utility defender Danny Collins is also making good progress.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is expected to field an unchanged side for the visit of the Black Cats.

Benitez still has long term injuries to Djimi Traore, Harry Kewell and Peter Crouch, and although Florent Sinama-Pongolle made his comeback from a knee problem in the reserves this week, it is unlikely he will be considered for first team action yet.

Jamie Carragher, who needed an injection in his mouth because of an infected tooth before he could play for England in midweek, is expected to play.

The last time Sunderland were at Anfield they were in turmoil and relegation was stirring them in the face. That was in November 2002 and Howard Wilkinson was in charge of the team. Liverpool had so many chances but no matter how many they created they just couldn't put the ball into the back of the net. Sunderland goalkeeper Jurgen Macho had the game of his life.


Prediction

Liverpool 3 - Sunderland 1


Teams:

Liverpool: (from) Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Whitbread, Warnock, Luis Garcia, Cisse, Sissoko, Gerrard, Hamann, Zenden, Alonso, Morientes, Baros, Carson, Riise, Potter.

Sunderland: (from) Davis, Nosworthy, Arca, Breen, Caldwell, Whitehead, Robinson, Welsh, Lawrence, Miller, Gray, Stead, Brown, Elliott, J Murphy, Piper.

Owen on verge of Liverpool return

The Times says Michael Owen's return to Liverpool is 'imminent' after 'his former club made official contact with Real Madrid.'

The papers adds, 'The transfer, expected to be for about £12 million, is likely to be financed by the departure from Anfield of Djibril Cisse and Milan Baros.'

Baros is set to join Aston Villa for £6.5m in the next week, while Cisse is an apparent target for Lyon. Their manager, Gerard Houllier, signed Cisse while at Pool, and has money to spend after the sale of Michael Essien.

Considering their lack of forward resources, Newcastle have also inevitably been linked with Cisse after admitting defeat in their pursuit of Owen.

Magpies still in the chase for Owen

Newcastle have not given up hope of landing Real Madrid striker Michael Owen but realise they cannot compete with Liverpool or Man Scum for his signature.

It is understood the 25-year-old has indicated he could be willing to make a move to St James' Park if neither the Manchester Buckaneers or his former employers make a move for him.

While no-one on Tyneside is getting carried away by the news, it at glimmer of hope as Graeme Souness' search for a striker continues.

Their interest in Owen is long-standing, and although they always knew the chances of landing him were slim there is greater optimism than there was at the start of the week when chairman Freddy Shepherd cancelled a planned trip to Madrid to step up the pursuit.

The encouraging development came a day after the Magpies confirmed they had pulled out of their attempt to sign Fenerbahce's Nicolas Anelka at the Turkish club's request, although there have been suggestions since that the Frenchman could yet agitate for a move himself.

But what is not in any doubt is that Newcastle have to move fast if they are to avoid leaving Alan Shearer, who celebrates his 35th birthday on Saturday 24 hours before his side's opening Barclays Premiership fixture at Arsenal, fighting alone.

Real chief wants Owen to stay

Real Madrid's sporting director Arrigo Sacchi insists he wants Michael Owen to stay at the club despite mounting speculation over a return to the Premiership.

Owen admitted last week he had held brief talks with a number of top English clubs following Real's double summer swoop for strikers Robinho and Julio Baptista.

But Sacchi told Madrid sports paper AS: "I hope he stays here because he will have the respect of the whole club as he is a fantastic person. On Sunday I congratulated him on his professionalism. He did everything to perfection."

Free Michael Shields Website

Funny how things happen. Within days of Michael being arrested and jailed in Bulgaria for someone elses crime, LFC have drawn CSK Sofia (a Bulgarian team) in the Champions League qualifyer.

Yesterday, Michael Shields Snr, the father of the young Reds fan, called on all Liverpool fans travelling to Sofia to behave if they want to help the campaign to free his son.

Although Miachel's prison cell is some 2,000 miles away from the stadium, he will be in many supporters minds.

Benitez does u-turn on Owen?

Michael Owen could return to Liverpool after the Anfield board reportedly persuaded Rafael Benitez to do a u-turn on the England striker.

Benitez initially dismissed a move for Owen, but now the Daily Mirror say that the Spaniard will consider a deal if it's at the right price.

He has repeatedly said that he is looking for a centre-half rather than a centre-forward after spending £7m on Peter Crouch, but could now rush through an exit for Milan Baros to create space for Owen.

Real Madrid have had to lower their valuation after they had no takers at £16m and on Monday claimed that Newcastle and Manchester United had shown an interest.

Toon chairman Freddy Shepherd admitted they were interested, but Owen is said to have turned down a move to the north-east because they are not in the Champions League this season.

There was an official denial of contact from Old Trafford but The Sun claims that Sir Alex Ferguson does in fact retain an interest in Owen.

Lookalikes

Gonzalez permit knockback for Reds

Liverpool are considering an appeal after a work permit application for Chilean winger Mark Gonzalez was rejected.

The European champions were shocked by the decision made after a hearing this week.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that Liverpool were only planning a season-long loan deal for the 21 year-old, with a view to a £4.7million deal with his Spanish club Albacete next summer.

Gonzalez, who was actually born in South Africa, is currently recovering from a cruciate knee injury and would not have expected to be fit until October.

The permit was refused primarily because Chile are not in the top 70 of the FIFA rankings, and it is believed Liverpool also fell foul of regulations that say the player had to be among their highest wage-earners.

Liverpool officials attended a hearing in London on Thursday to argue their case but were shocked when a panel of judges refused them.

The ruling clearly upset Benitez, who argued that Gonzalez is not only the best player in Chile but was also one of the most exciting players in Spain last season.

Benitez told www.liverpoolfc.tv: "He's a player we have scouted for over six months. I can tell the Liverpool fans who don't know too much about him that he's a player with lots and lots of ability.

"He is very fast, good in the air, good at crosses and he can score goals. In fact, he is the best player in Chile. We have had reports on the player from our own scouts, professional players, former players and other managers and they all say the same - that he is a very good player for now and even better for the future.

"We haven't been awarded a work permit though and I was very surprised to say the least."

Government regulations also require that when signing a young player from outside the EU, a club must convince officials that there is no comparable player in their own country first.

Liverpool would have a better chance if Chile were in the world top 70. They are currently 72nd and their next match is against Brazil.

Benitez added: "We must now wait because one of the problems is that his national team are not ranked in FIFA's top 70. If they win a couple of games, maybe they will move up the FIFA rankings and things may change.

"Gonzalez is already a player who will shine in the Premiership but very soon he could be one of the most exciting players in England.

"Liverpool supporters love to see players who can lift them out of their seats and Gonzalez is exactly that sort of player. You saw the reaction when Djibril Cisse came on against Kaunas on Wednesday.

"The fans were jumping up and cheering when Cisse raced down the wing. With Gonzalez, the fans would be out of their seats the whole time because he can play like Cisse but on the wing."

Liverpool may well now review the situation, and could wait until the January transfer window to make a second application, hoping that the player will then meet more of the UK criteria as well as being fit to play.

Wenger's love for Owen not enough

Arsene Wenger has insisted that he will not make a bid for Michael Owen because he doesn't believe the England striker would dovetail with Thierry Henry.

Owen is believed to be searching for a return to the Premiership after being reduced to fifth-choice striker at Real Madrid.

However, despite being in 'love' with the player, Wenger has ruled out making a bid for Owen.

"I have nothing against Michael Owen. I love him," the Arsenal boss declared.

The stumbling block, though, is the perceived incompatibility of the Owen-Henry partnership.

"We have Thierry Henry who scores 25 goals a season and can they live together? I don't know. Thierry is not yet the age to play a little bit deeper. I like Owen but I look more for a deeper kind of striker. I have Dennis Bergkamp but he is getting older."

Without the guarantee of first-team football, Wenger claimed it would 'dishonest' to bring Owen to Highbury.

"It would be dishonest to take an international player like him and put him in the same situation he has at Real Madrid," said the Frenchman.

Inter sign LFC target

Luis Figo has completed his move from Real Madrid to Internazionale.

The Portuguese international, 32, has signed a two-year deal at the San Siro after successfully completing a medical.

The news ends any lingering hope Liverpool had of luring Figo to Anfield.

Figo had been chased by Reds boss Rafael Benitez since Real Madrid made it clear they were prepared to release the winger, who they signed from Barcelona five years ago for a then world-record fee of £37million.

The transfer fee is thought to be £2million, a price at which Liverpool reportedly baulked.

The 32-year-old, who has moved on a free transfer, has agreed a two-year contract with the Serie A club, bringing to an end a ten-year stay in Spain. He spent five seasons at FC Barcelona, where he won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1996/97 and two consecutive Primera División titles, before controversially switching to Madrid in a €65m transfer for the 2000/01 campaign.

At the Santiago Bernabéu, Figo won the Spanish title on two more occasions and also the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League. He will link up with former team-mates Santiago Solari and Walter Samuel at his new club, as well as Esteban Cambiasso, who moved in 2004. Inter begin their Champions League campaign next week with the first leg of their third qualifying round match against FC Shakhtar Donetsk, after last season's third-place finish.

Figo, who will wear the number seven shirt and could make his debut in the Italian Super Cup on August 27, against Juventus.

He becomes Inter's third signing of the summer from Real, after Argentinian duo Santiago Solari and Walter Samuel also moved to Milan from the Bernabeu.

Who's stopping Le Tallec?

Media reports yesterday claimed that on-loan player Anthony Le Tallec was refused permission by Rafael Benitez to play against Liverpool for Sunderland this month - in case the forward damages the Champions League qualification hopes of his parent club.

But he will not be allowed to play in his new side's second Barclays Premiership clash of the season, against Liverpool away.

"Of course I would want to play against Liverpool but I cannot. I asked Benitez if I could and he told me no," he said.

"He said that if I scored against Liverpool and they finished fifth in the league it would not be good for me or for them.

"But to be honest I'm not thinking about Liverpool, I'm thinking about Sunderland."

However, today Liverpools Offiical website www.liverpooltc.tv claimed that the on loan midfielder Anthony Le Tallec will not be allowed to play for Sunderland against Liverpool on Saturday, August 20th due to Premier League rules. Explaining that the new rule state that a player on loan can not play against his long term employers.

That rules Le Tallec out of both Premiership games against Liverpool this season.

It remains to be seen if he is allowed to play against the Reds should they be drawn against the Black Cats in the FA or League Cup, where the Premier League has no jurisdiction. At that point perhaps we'll know whether Le Tallec has been banned from from playing against his current employers. Either way it won't affect LFC's qualifying for the Champions League.

Sayonara Toyota Cup?

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry has admitted the Reds are still considering whether or not to take part in this season's World Club Championship.

FIFA are expecting Liverpool to compete in the World Club Championship in Japan in December despite the club casting doubts over their participation.

Liverpool have been drawn to play either Deportivo Saprissa or FC Sydney in the semi-finals of the competition, but Parry says the Reds must decide whether it would serve the club's best interests to take part.

A spokesman for world football's governing body said tonight: "FIFA looks forward to Liverpool's participation in the FIFA Club World Championship TOYOTA Cup Japan 2005 as winner of the UEFA Champions League."

As European Champions, the Reds are automatically invited to take part in December's showpiece event in Tokyo, when the winners from the different FIFA confederations meet for a week long competition.

But having also been made to defend their title from the first qualifying round, the club are concerned about the amount of fixtures they are playing.

"The World Club Championship draw has been made and this is something we are debating very carefully at the moment," chief executive Rick Parry told the club's website, www.liverpoolfc.tv.

"It is a world tournament that is prestigious but we have to balance that with the potential of losing another domestic fixture.

"We are already facing the disruption of two Premier League fixtures due to the Champions League third-round qualifier and the Super Cup (against CSKA Moscow, the UEFA Cup winners).

"All of this is down to the price of success and as we've discovered in the past, you tend not to get a lot of sympathy for being successful."

Injurt setback for Crouch

Peter Crouch has been ruled out for up to three weeks after a scan on the hamstring injury that forced him out of Liverpool's Champions League success over FBK Kaunus.

The £7million striker limped off after just 54 minutes at Anfield last night, and is now is certain to miss next week's third qualifying round first leg.

He will also miss the start of the Barclays Premiership campaign but is suspended for the first two games against Middlesbrough and Sunderland anyway.

With the August 27 match against Arsenal postponed because of the European Super Cup, Crouch may now have to wait until the trip to Tottenham on September 10 to make his Premiership debut.

But boss Rafael Benitez will hope to have him back in contention for the second leg of the Champions League qualifier against CSKA Sofia or Dinamo Tirana on August 23.

Benitez said: "The partnership between Crouch and (Djibril) Cisse was working well. We have Cisse's pace and the alternative qualities of Crouch.

"Against Kaunus we had decided that in the second half we needed to play the ball in the air more, but unfortunately the plan only lasted a few minutes of the second period.

"We could see that Peter was holding the back of his leg and we decided to change him quickly because it was obviously a hamstring problem.

"You need to protect players in such situations to avoid even worse problems.

"I don't think we are short of numbers up front. We have let Anthony Le Tallec go out on loan, but we have (Milan) Baros, (Fernando) Morientes, Luis Garcia, Cisse. They are all good players."

And with the prospect of Baros leaving for Everton seemingly having hit a major snag over the £7million fee Liverpool are demanding, Benitez may even be prepared to re-consider the decision to sell the Czech.

He may still not risk cup-tying him in Europe, but Baros could well be needed for the opening league matches with the transfer deadline not until the last day of August.

Crouch said: "I have no real idea how long it will be.

"I was enjoying my home debut, it was great to finally get the chance to play at Anfield because we have been on the road for a long time since I signed.

"I would have wanted to finish the game, obviously, so it was really frustrating to pick up an injury like that.

"I was beginning to really enjoy things, so the hamstring was a real disappointment."

Some quarter in the press are once again pushing the possibility that Liverpool will be in to sign Michael Owen, after it was revealed that he had spoken to four Premiership teams.

Black Cat Le Tallec

Sunderland manager Mick McCarthy has spoken of his delight after securing the services of Anthony Le Tallec on a season long loan deal.

Le Tallec has joined the Black Cats for the coming campaign after being told by Rafael Benitez he wouldn't be assured of too many first team games at Anfield.

McCarthy has revealed he wanted to sign the 20 year old Frenchman last season and is thrilled to have finally got his man.

"Le Tallec was one last season we enquired about and he went off to St Etienne," said McCarthy.

"We've been in touch with Liverpool for quite a while to see who they would let out on loan and we've got an exciting and versatile player who will do well for us."

This is the second season that Le Tallec has gone on a season long loan, although he return early last season.

Still basking in the glory

Quotes about that famous night:

• "I slept with the cup in my hotel room. I did not want it out of my sight. When I woke up and someone took it away, I felt I had lost a part of me." Skipper Steven Gerrard on the significance of the Champions League trophy.
• "The cup ended up with Stevie G in his room. His girlfriend wasn't here, so he had the cup in his bed instead." Confirmation from team-mate Vladimir Smicer
• "Jamie Carragher looks like he's got cramp in both groins." Football commentator Andy Townsend declares Carragher a biological phenomenon
• "The boss asked me if I wanted to take a penalty, I said I did and he put me on fifth. I thought "Thanks a lot, pal - my a*** was going, it was all over the place!" Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, who was spared penalty duties thanks to Jerzy Dudek's save from Andriy Shevchenko.
• "Before the penalties, Carra came up to me like he was crazy - as always! He said: "Jerzy, Jerzy - remember Bruce (Grobbelaar). He did crazy things to put them off and you have to do the same."
  Liverpool hero Jerzy Dudek reveals the 'wobbly legs' press conference before the penalties.
• "He did a much better job than I did. He looked like a starfish with jelly legs to me but it worked." Liverpool's original "spaghetti legs" goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar pays tribute to Jerzy Dudek.
• "This one was enormous - it was the biggest in the world - as big as the room! Every time I went to relight it, it seemed to be the same size - it lasted all night!" Vladimir Smicer, who scored a goal and a penalty in Liverpool's defeat of AC Milan, recalls his giant celebratory cigar