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Kuyt Won’t Play, Fowler Should

Rafa Benitez expects Robbie Fowler to play some part in today’s clash with Blackburn after announcing that Dirk Kuyt won’t be risked at all today given the vital midweek clash against Bordeux and the impending trip to Old Trafford next weekend.

Speaking to Sky Sports this morning, Benitez said

Robbie Fowler had a problem with his back, but we think he’ll be available, and Momo Sissoko’s ankle isn’t too bad. I spoke with the doctor, and we think it’s better if Kuyt is not involved for this game. But he is better and we hope he will be okay for the next game.

I’m looking forward to seeing Robbie in action against Blackburn, particularly up front again with Craig Bellamy should the Welshman start against his former club and nice to see that Rafa expects Robbie to play.

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A Curse On International Duty

I’m totally behind Benitez now on his stance for compensation for players injured during international duty. Not only is Dirk Kuyt missing for a few weeks but now Danny Agger faces over a month out of action after breaking his hand playing for Denmark last night.

Agger was already named the PFA Fans Player of Month for September and has been on fantastic form since the beginning of the season, bloody shame that he’s out of action and will miss the game against United.

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Bellamy Scores For Wales

New Welsh skipped and Liverpool’s number 17 Craig Bellamy made amends for the hiding dished out by Slovakia last weekend by leading his country to a 3-1 victory against Cyprus (some we - Ireland - couldn’t manage) and getting himself on the scoresheet in the process.

Great to see it from the chap. John Toshack was full of praise for him after the game as well, Bellamy having made all the right moves on the field to secure the victory, much needed after last weekend’s shambles on the pitch.

Bellamy’s pending court case on charges of assault has also been postponed to due new medical evidence being brought forward.

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Diao Moves To Stoke

Salif Diao has completed his loan move to Stoke, effectively bringing an end to his Liverpool career as I can’t see the club keeping him on past Christmas. The loan move itself is for three months (October thru to the January transfer window) at which stage a permanent decision will be made on Diao’s footballing future at Anfield.

Diao, who hasn’t featured much for Liverpool since he’s first season though was active enough in preseason this year and enjoyed loan spells away last year still draws down a £40,000 a week wage, Stoke having agreed to pay a small portion of his wages for the loan deal.

Speaking to the Stoke Sentinel today about his loan, Diao said

My career at Liverpool is over, but not my career in England. I feel I have something to prove, especially in England, because apart from my first year at Liverpool I have been unlucky with injuries. Sometimes you have to go down to be able to jump higher. I’ve already done that before and I am just happy to be here. I am impressed by everything, and everyone was happy for me to be here.

Stoke, who reckon Diao is at 100% fitness is expected to make his debut against Leeds at the weekend. Something we’ll never get though is the money that Houllier spent on Diao at the time. Remeber when Diao was labelled as the new Patrick Viera? He he…. Didn’t that happen as well with Bruno Cheyrou?

Diao becomes a free agent anyway next summer so it would be highly doubtful if any cash would be raised from activity in January.

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Kuyt May Be Fit For Manchester

Dirk Kuyt may be fit to face United on October 22nd at Old Trafford but he’s definitely going to miss Liverpool’s next two games including the league clash against Blackburn and our next Champions League game against Bordeux. Kuyt had a scan on his ankle revealing strained ankle ligaments (which seems to be a problem around Anfield this season) to be the root of the injury.

Though its a sure pain to see him out at this stage and missing the european game, at least its not as bad as was first thought - word going about that he could have been out for November altogether.

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King Kenny To Save Ireland’s Blushes?

Word on the wire this morning is that Kenny Dalglish is being lined up to step into the Irish international scene, replacing Bobby Robson as Ireland’s “International Consultant” or whatever the FAI want to describe his role as.

In fairness, when has an Irish manager, or any other manager for that matter, needed an “International Consultant”. Why not just give the job to the consultant in the first place if they have that much bloody experience and save us the shame of a 5-2 defeat to Cyprus, Ireland’s current streak extending to four losses, including a 4-0 hammering by Holland prior to the Euro 2008 qualifiers kicking off in September.

With Sir Bobby’s ill health of late it is reported that the FAI are ready to ask Dalglish (who was named as Liverpool’s top “player who shook the Kop” before the weekend).

As for Staunton, he has absolutely no plans to go anywhere. People have been calling for his head for weeks, people have been calling for John Delaney’s (FAI) head for weeks and after the hiding dished out by Cyprus, the voices have only gotten louder.

Alas, blaming the manager can only go so far - the players were as much to blame, Ireland’s midfield at the weekend in particular who was about as useful as a comb to a bald man against Cyprus.

Dalglish of course would be a great man to have at Stan’s side - amazing as a player, terrific as a manager with Liverpool in the mid 80s and again at Blackburn in the mid 90s, proving that he has the ability beyond any doubt to take a team and lead them to glory.

More should be revealed within the coming days.

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Ankle Injury Could Keep Kuyt Out For Weeks

Always is the case, just when a player looks like he’s hitting form and getting comfortable with his new surrounds, an injury pops up to spoil the party. So it is with Dirk Kuyt who limped out of Holland’s game at the weekend and could be missing until late November with an ankle injury, the player already rated as doubtful for Liverpool’s next league game against Blackburn in a week’s time.

Marco Van Basten has already confirmed that it is unlikely Kuyt will play any part in Holland’s midweek clash against Albania but the full extent of Kuyt’s injury is yet to be revealed.

Overall it wasn’t a great weekend for Liverpool’s international players - Xabi Alonso and Pepe Reina sat on the bench for the Spanish game while Luis Garcia didn’t make much of an impact, coming on for the last half hour; Riise started and finished Norway’s clash with Greece but lost 1-0; Dudek sat out the Polish game; Craig Bellamy rang in his captaincy with a 5-1 defeat to Slovakia while Steve Finnan was on the end of a 5-2 mauling by Cyprus in Ireland’s game.

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Top 10 Players Who Shook The Kop

So the ‘Players Who Shook The Kop’ has ended on Liverpoolfc.tv and here’s the top ten list as revealed over the weekend…

1. Kenny Dalglish
2. Steven Gerrard
3. Ian Rush
4. Robbie Fowler
5. John Barnes
6. Billy Liddell
7. Jamie Carragher
8. Kevin Keegan
9. Graeme Souness
10. Emlyn Hughes

Other notable mentions of recent years include Michael Owen (14), Luis Garcia (24), Xabi Alonso (33), Sami Hyypia (38), John Arne Riise (43), Pepe Reina (61). Nice to see some of the more recent additions to the squad getting their name up the list of all-time greatest players since the club’s foundation.

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Gerrard Suspended For Croatian Game

Steven Gerrard will have to sit out England’s next game against Croatia after picking up a yellow card tonight in England’s 0-0 draw against Macedonia, the second time in four years that the Macedonian’s have spoilt the English party.

Steve McLaren, however, thought otherwise…

I thought the booking was very harsh and the reaction of the Macedonia players got him booked. It was an innocuous challenge, no more than a free-kick.

Stevie was left counting his own misfortune during the game as well as yet again the woodwork ruined the chances of a Liverpool player this season, Gerrard hitting the crossbar from in front of goal - not the first time either that he himself has hit the wordwork this season.

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Cissé Must Wait Until Christmas

According to the news this morning it looks like Djibril Cissé’s hopes of lining up for Marseille in October have been seriously dashed, Cissé having been told he’ll have to wait anywhere up to eight weeks and that it could be up to a month before he begins light training.

Cissé, on loan at Marseille, is expected (or at least I’m expecting it) to make his transfer back to Ligue 1 permanent in January when the transfer window re-opens. Although the last thing he needs is another injury setback, L’OM are certain that Cissé will start as their number one striker when he returns from injury.

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