Owen absent for Reds

Liverpool will be without Michael Owen as they seek to advance past Olimpija Ljubljana in the UEFA Cup at Anfield.

However manager Gerard Houllier believes Owen will have recovered from the shin injury that kept him out of England’s game in Turkey in time to play against Portsmouth on Saturday.

Houllier is also without Danny Murphy, Bruno Cheyrou, Jamie Carragher and Milan Baros, while Dietmar Hamann has targeted mid-November for his return from injury.

Stephane Henchoz, who made a late substitute appearance for Switzerland against the Republic of Ireland on Saturday, should also be fit to return.

Provisional squad: Dudek, Finnan, Henchoz, Biscan, Hyypia, Riise, Kewell, Diouf, Gerrard, Diao, Le Tallec, Smicer, Heskey, Sinama-Pongolle, Traore, Kirkland, Welsh, Warnock.