Cisse issues apology for behaviour to Magpie fans

DJIBRIL CISSE has issued an apology through Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez for his controversial behaviour after scoring his side’s third goal from the spot at Newcastle.

Benitez took time off from preparing for the FA Cup quarter-final at Birmingham tonight to defend his errant Frenchman, insisting his reaction to crowd abuse at St James' Park was not a "serious" incident.

With Robbie Fowler cup-tied for the St Andrews clash having netting a hat-trick for Manchester City in an earlier round Cisse could well find himself up front again as Liverpool bid to reach the semi-finals.

Cisse was booked for pulling his shirt over his head after his successful penalty, revealing a message to his wife and new son, and then was caught on camera gesturing to Newcastle fans who were taunting him.

Benitez got a message to the player through Jamie Carragher, who ran 30 yards to make sure his team-mate calmed down and ensure the game did not become 10-a-side following Jean-Alain Boumsong's red card minutes earlier.

Benitez said: "I told him during the game to calm down, and at the end we also talked. The message on his shirt was for his young son and his family, and he has told me that he wishes to say sorry to the Newcastle fans.

Benitez added: "For him it was really important to score, he had been under a lot of pressure, and maybe his reaction was understandable, after the celebrations he was just sorry about what happened.

"We have talked, he wants to say 'sorry'. He has been trying for a long time to score and he had managed it, I suppose it was a normal reaction."

Benitez hopes the FA will not get involved as he turns his attention to trying to make sure Liverpool beat Birmingham for the first time under his management, the only top flight side he has yet to register a win against since he took over at Anfield. And he does so complaining bitterly about the fixture schedule that is forcing teams to play twice in three days.

He revealed he will make changes at St Andrews with Steve Finnan and Fernando Morientes both of whom did not even figure in the 16 at St James' Park both likely to return.

Benitez said: "It is a crazy schedule. We all got home on Sunday night after travelling and we are all off again the following morning.

"It is hard to recuperate players in such a short time, you need at least three days. It will now be impossible to see the best of every player.

Former stars have been quick this week to point out they feel fixture congestion was no different in their day. But Benitez countered: "It is totally different now to previous years. I am not talking about playing a lot of games, but two games in three days.

"You can play 60 games, two games a week, and you are OK. But now things are different. There is so much travelling, flying, with lack of rest and hanging about at airports. You cannot get your rest, it is not the same as playing a lot of games in one country."

Birmingham striker Emile Heskey and midfielder Nicky Butt are major fitness worries.

Heskey and Butt will have late fitness tests on ankle and hip injuries respectively suffered during Saturday's 2-0 home reversal against Tottenham.

David Dunn and Jiri Jarosik are also doubtful while Julian Gray, Matthew Upson, Muzzy Izzet, Chris Sutton and Mehdi Nafti are all sidelined. Striker DJ Campbell is cup-tied to leave Mikael Forssell as possibly the only available striker if Heskey is ruled out.