Injuries weaken PSV for visit of
Liverpool
Liverpool will start favourites but PSV Eindhoven coach
Ronald Koeman will fancy another English scalp when the Dutch club
host the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on
Tuesday. Koeman's side put out Arsenal in the first knockout round
in March and last season, when he was in charge of Portugal's
Benfica, he outwitted Liverpool counterpart Rafael Benitez at the
same stage to knock out the then defending
champions.
PSV are riddled with injury problems, however, for the visit of a
Liverpool side who looked in fine fettle when beating Arsenal 4-1
on Saturday to go third in the Premier League. Towering Brazilian
defender Alex, whose header knocked Arsenal out at The Emirates
Stadium, is sidelined by injury while Ivorian striker Arouna Kone
suffered a knee injury in that game and has not played since.
Youngster Ibrahim Afellay, capped for the first time by the
Netherlands last week, is also struggling to recover from a
hamstring injury picked up during Saturday's 1-1 draw at NAC Breda
-- a result that meant PSV's lead in Dutch league was trimmed to
two points.
"We don't have the fittest squad at this moment," said Koeman, "but
we will not give up despite two matches against Liverpool in a
week.
"Afellay is a major doubt. We have problems battling for silverware
on two fronts."
Probable teams:
PSV: 1-Gomes; 2-Jan Kromkamp,
14-Manuel da Costa, 13-Alcides, 23-Carlos Salcido; 20-Ibrahim
Afellay, 11-Edison Mendes, 6-Timmy Simons, 8-Phillip Cocu;
17-Jefferson Farfan, 9-Patrick Kluivert
Liverpool: 25-Pepe Reina;
3-Steve Finnan, 23-Jamie Carragher, 5-Daniel Agger, 2-Alvaro
Arbeloa; 16-Jermaine Pennant, 8-Steven Gerrard, 14-Xabi Alonso,
6-John Arne Riise; 15-Peter Crouch, 17-Dirk Kuyt
Referee: Bertrand Layec (France)
