Benitez buoyant as big guns return

Rafael Benitez prays the cavalry have arrived at just the right time to fire Liverpool back into the Champions League next season without needing to go to the extreme lengths of having to win this term’s tournament.

Of course, the Liverpool chief fancies a trip to final next month – and a victory – but with champions-elect Chelsea and AC Milan likely to be the clubs blocking their path to European glory, he knows something has to change quickly for the Anfield club’s final five games of the Barclays Premiership season.

For the first time he has Milan Baros, Djibril Cisse and Fernando Morientes available for the crucial trip to Portsmouth.

Baros is back after a three-match ban, Cisse could well be ready for a place in the starting line-up at Fratton Park for the first time since October, which will take immense pressure from Morientes’ shoulders.

The Spaniard has struggled for match fitness and scored just two since he arrived in January, Baros – the club’s top scorer – has managed only three in his last 20 appearances, while Cisse’s broken leg has restricted him to just three all term.

With the battle for fourth place hotting up, Liverpool must start finding the net more consistently to avoid such one-sided draws as they managed against Spurs on Saturday when plenty of chances went begging.

Benitez explained: “Cisse is fit, he is not at his best yet but and it is a possibility that he could start.

“But we do at last have a choice of strikers, Morientes, Milan Baros is now back from suspension, and Cisse.

“This is something we have not had for some time, to be able to chose from three players of their quality means I will have to consider the situation and make a proper decision.

“Players like Morientes with experience know how to play under pressure, but Baros and Cisse will be a great help to us.

“Fernando will be better next season when he has had a full pre-season training. But when you look at a player like him and his career he is someone who always scores goals, so all he needs is time and he will score more goals.”

Benitez knows he does not have time any more this season, regardless of the heroics in Turin last week which secured a Champions League semi-final double-header against Chelsea.

Having had to negotiate two tough away games in the next four days against Pompey and Crystal Palace is far more important.

The Spaniard continued: “As for the final matches, I have told the players to carry on doing what they did against Spurs, they played well and with a little more luck will score many goals.

“We have two games in a week and we need to win these games to get into the top four and to reduce the gap before the Champions League games.

“I know people are saying it is easier for us to get into the tournament next season by winning the trophy now but I still see the top four as being the most important for us.

“The difference between all three of us – Everton, Bolton and ourselves – is only a few points.

“But if we look at the table all the time it will only make it more difficult for us, the most important thing is to win our next match, no more.

“At the moment I do not want to talk about the Champions League and Chelsea, only to concentrate on these two games first.”

On his south coast rivals, Benitez added: “I do not know a lot about Portsmouth’s new manager Alain Perrin, but I do know about his team and I know it will be very difficult for us.

“At the end of the season teams playing at the bottom make it very difficult.

“My message to the players is to be aware that this will not be easy. We have five games left and we need to win all the time.”