MOMO & HIS SPECS LINED UP FOR RETURN

Tuesday 21st March 2006
ANFIELD ONLINE LFC NEWS

MOMO & HIS SPECS LINED UP FOR RETURN

Mohamed Sissoko could make a return to Liverpool's first team tonight wearing protective glasses after recovering from the eye injury that had initially threatened to end his career.

The Mali international has been training in the glasses for a fortnight and has been included in the squad for the FA Cup quarter-final away to Birmingham City with Liverpool still aggrieved that they have been forced to play the tie only a little more than 48 hours after they won at Newcastle in the Premiership.

Squad resources have been stretched sufficiently for Rafael Benítez to consider Sissoko, having explored various means of protecting the left eye damaged at Benfica four weeks ago. Sissoko was accidentally kicked by the Portuguese side's midfielder Beto in the 1-0 Champions League defeat and, after losing his sight, spent a night in hospital in Lisbon before consulting a London specialist, who confirmed the retina had been seriously damaged.

There were concerns that there could be permanent damage or, at best, his vision might be seriously impaired. However, once the swelling had receded, his recovery has been hugely encouraging. The 20-year-old returned to training a fortnight ago and, having experimented with eyewear, could feature at St Andrew's.

"I don't know if Momo will play," said Benítez, "but we have been trying different types of glasses to protect the eye and we will have to see."

Sissoko is expected to start on the bench but Liverpool's may well call on his energy at some point, with Benítez critical of the Football Association's scheduling of the tie. While television dictated the Newcastle match should take place on Sunday, the FA and Sven-Goran Eriksson's desire to have a fourth week of preparation before the World Cup finals has seen the FA Cup quarter-finals crammed into midweek, though Benítez warns that the decision could backfire should the likes of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher be injured at Birmingham.

"If you lose two or three players during the season, how can that help England?" he said. "We will see if it is counter-productive, but I know you will not see the best of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher if they're forced to play twice in three days. All the English players, if they play two games in three days, will be more at risk and will have more problems."

Benítez and his squad flew back from Tyneside on Sunday, arriving on Merseyside at around 5.30pm with the manager's preparations for the FA Cup tie restricted to watching a video yesterday of Birmingham's 2-0 defeat to Tottenham. His players trained for two hours last night before their coach journey south.

"I've had to prepare for both our games at the same time," Benítez said. "That's my problem because the players have to know what to do. I don't want to use excuses before the game, but Birmingham will have one more day [to prepare]. We are going there to win and I think we can, but the situation is not the best. The people who decide these things must realise that it is impossible for players to play at their best if they have to play twice in three days at this level."

Birmingham City (4-5-1, probable): Maik Taylor; Melchiot, Cunningham, Martin Taylor, Clapham; Pennant, Johnson, Kilkenny, Clemence, Lazaridis; Forssell.

Liverpool (4-4-2, possible): Reina; Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Traoré; Luis García, Gerrard, Alonso, Kewell; Morientes, Fowler.

Referee R Styles.

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