Benitez selects strong side

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez paid the FA Cup its due respects when he selected a powerful side for the tricky third round encounter against Luton at Kenilworth Road.

Benitez handed goalkeeper Scott Carson his FA Cup debut but other than that it was a side full of first team stars led by Steven Gerrard, in stark contrast to the Anfield youth team which lost to Burnley at Turf Moor in the third round last season, a defeat which led to Benitez being accused of disrespecting the competition.

Peter Crouch, who scored seven goals last month to end his lean spell, started up front alongside Djibril Cisse with new signing Jan Kromkamp starting on the substitutes’ bench against the Coca-Cola championship side managed by former Liverpool trainee Mike Newell.