KEWELL: WE HAVE NOT HANDLED INJURIES WELL

Harry Kewell admits that Liverpool have not handled their injury problems well this season but he is still convinced they will qualify for the Champions League.

The Australian, Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard have all struggled for fitness this season and Emile Heskey was today ruled out for three weeks with a hamstring injury.

The former Leicester striker will miss Saturday's 170th Mersey derby, plus league games against Bolton and Manchester City and probably the FA Cup fifth round against Portsmouth.

It is the sort of problem that has hampered Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier all season, but Kewell believes the club are on the up with the majority of their key players back in action.

He says: "It has been a difficult time, but you have to learn to live with these things.

"Just how bad it has been was underlined recently by the boss when he said that until the Wolves game last week he had never been able to select myself, Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard and Didi Hamann in the same side.

"That is the trouble we have had all season, but it is something you have to deal with.''

The former Leeds man added: ``I suppose we had not dealt with it properly, but now we have got most of our top players back fit we can turn the corner and go from strength to strength.

"I do not see any reason why we cannot get into the Champions League via fourth spot in the league. I know Charlton are having a great spell at the moment, Fulham are still going well and we are on the same points as Newcastle, so it will be tough.

"But we have got the players to do it so I do not see now why we cannot.''

Houllier still has Vladimir Smicer and Chris Kirkland on the injured list, but will be boosted by the return this week in a reserve game at Bolton of striker Milan Baros.

The Czech international has not played since breaking an ankle in September, but he is expected to play 45 minutes of tomorrow's match at Leyland.

Baros is not likely to be fit for a Premiership return for a few more weeks yet, so without Heskey to partner Owen at Anfield against Everton on Saturday, it could well be that Houllier will stick with the system he finished with in the victory over Newcastle in Sunday's FA Cup encounter.

French youngster Anthony Le Tallec came on for Heskey in the 2-1 win over the Geordies, and impressed everyone, including Newcastle boss Sir Bobby Robson.

And Houllier added: "Le Tallec did very well and that was encouraging for the future, there was a lot of movement and inter-changing from the players working behind Michael Owen.''

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