Soccer: Aldridge ignores Reds showdown prospect

Former Liverpool star John Aldridge has refused to let the prospect of an FA

Cup quarter-final showdown between current club Tranmere and the Anfield giants get in the way of tonight's business.

A fifth round replay against Southampton at Prenton Park has the Rovers

manager's full attention and any thoughts of playing Liverpool, the club he

graced as a player, are put to the back of his mind.

``We're not playing Liverpool yet,'' said Aldridge. ``We've got a massive game

first and the incentive is there for us. It's a carrot but that's all it is.''

Southampton boss Glenn Hoddle must choose from a squad full of walking-wounded

Saints for tonight's showdown on Merseyside.

The Southampton boss is definitely without ankle injury victims Matt Oakley

and Kevin Davies, while Moroccan defender Tahar El Khalej is away winning his

100th international cap.

New signing Dan Petrescu is also unavailable because he is cup-tied, and Trond

Soltvedt and Francis Benali are out on loan.

Hoddle admitted: ``We are down to the bare bones. To be honest, I am not sure

what my squad is going to be.''

Chris Marsden is the probable replacement for Oakley in an otherwise unchanged line-up _ but the rest of the squad is still to be decided.