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Benitez set to take a final gamble on Kewell

Liverpool's Harry Kewell, center left, scores a penalty against Charlton Athletic during their English Premier League match at Anfield, Liverpool, England, on May 13. PHOTO: AP

Rafael Benitez looks set to take a massive Champions League gamble on the fitness of Harry Kewell by starting the Australian winger in Wednesday's final against AC Milan in Athens.

The Liverpool boss has seen his options for the left flank reduced by an injury which looks certain to prevent experienced Dutch midfielder Bolo Zenden from starting in the Olympic Stadium.

That would open the door for Kewell to make his first start of the season in his club's last and most important game.

The Australian has only just returned to action following the groin and foot operations he underwent in the wake of last summer's World Cup and Benitez had been skeptical about whether he had recovered sufficient match fitness to play most or all of a match in the Athens heat.

But Kewell caught the Spaniard's eye during a training camp in Spain and, although Benitez has not given up hope on Zenden being available, Kewell now looks the favorite to start on the left.

"Bolo has been treated and the good news is the swelling around his ankle is not that bad," Benitez said. "It will be difficult to say he will be fit for the final now, but I won't say no yet. He is strong and determined and it may recover quickly. I still hope he will be okay."

The reality however is that Zenden was on crutches just five days before the Athens showdown and Benitez must privately have accepted that he will not make it.

Kewell has unfinished business with the Champions League final. The injury problems which culminated in him missing virtually all of this season began when he broke down after 22 minutes of Liverpool's meeting with AC Milan in Istanbul two years ago, ensuring he missed out on the heroic fightback which was to earn the Reds the chance to clinch the trophy on penalties.

Benitez admitted that Kewell's recent return to action and the Australian's sharpness has given him a real dilemma over his best line-up to face the Italians.

"We certainly have options on both wings, these are the areas I am having to consider carefully," Benitez said. "This involves Bolo [Zenden], Harry [Kewell] and Jermaine [Pennant] and I have not yet made my decision."

Benitez added: "We looked at all the players in the training camp and in every training session people were talking about Harry Kewell."

"He played well for half an hour against Charlton but we needed to see whether he is fit and then decide if he can play from the start or not. There's a lot for me to decide yet," Benitez said. "What I know at the moment is that we are focused and we will be ready. The players are really thinking about this game and you could see in previous matches that as much as you tried to push them, their minds were already on the final."
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