Babel: Not fully fit
Liverpool ace Ryan Babel admits he is not 100 per cent fit ahead of this weekend's clash with Chelsea.
The Dutchman made a brief appearance off the bench during Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League.
Babel missed last weekend's win over Wigan with an ankle injury he suffered on international duty with Holland and concedes that he is still some way off peak fitness.
The former Ajax man believes the top-of-the-table clash at Stamford Bridge, live on Sky Sports 1 and HD1, will show how far Liverpool have come this season as they look to mount a serious title challenge.
"We will see how far we are now," Babel told Sky Sports News. "We are a little bit unlucky we do not have everybody fit of course, even myself I am not 100 per cent like I am supposed to be.
"No excuses, we will see what happens on Sunday."
Babel is unsure if he will be included from the start against Chelsea, but he insists he is ready and willing to do whatever Rafa Benitez wants.
"I am not sure [about starting] but of course if the boss needs me I will be 100 per cent," added Babel.
Babel admits Liverpool will make the trip to West London full of confidence after an unbeaten start to the season and knows a win at Chelsea would give them an even bigger lift.
"I think as a group the confidence is very high at the moment and if you can win at Chelsea it would be a good boost and we will see what happens," concluded Babel.
| Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
| Wednesday 25th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 19:45 | Hull vs Everton |
| 20:00 | Fulham vs Blackburn |
| Saturday 28th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Blackburn vs Stoke |
| 15:00 | Fulham vs Bolton |
| 15:00 | Man City vs Hull |
| 15:00 | Portsmouth vs Man Utd |
| 15:00 | West Ham vs Burnley |
| 15:00 | Wigan vs Sunderland |
| 17:30 | Aston Villa vs Tottenham |
| Sunday 29th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 12:00 | Wolverhampton vs Birmingham |
| 13:30 | Everton vs Liverpool |
| 16:00 | Arsenal vs Chelsea |
| Saturday 5th December | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 12:45 | Portsmouth vs Burnley |
| 15:00 | Arsenal vs Stoke |
| 15:00 | Aston Villa vs Hull |
| 15:00 | Blackburn vs Liverpool |
| 15:00 | West Ham vs Man Utd |
| 15:00 | Wigan vs Birmingham |
| 15:00 | Wolverhampton vs Bolton |
| 17:30 | Man City vs Chelsea |
| Time | Result |
|---|---|
| Sunday 22nd November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Bolton 0 - 2 Blackburn | |
| Tottenham 9 - 1 Wigan | |
| Stoke 1 - 0 Portsmouth | |
| Saturday 21st November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Liverpool 2 - 2 Man City | |
| Hull 3 - 3 West Ham | |
| Sunderland 1 - 0 Arsenal | |
| Chelsea 4 - 0 Wolverhampton | |
| Man Utd 3 - 0 Everton | |
| Birmingham 1 - 0 Fulham | |
| Burnley 1 - 1 Aston Villa | |
| Monday 9th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Liverpool 2 - 2 Birmingham | |
| Sunday 8th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Hull 2 - 1 Stoke | |
| Wigan 1 - 1 Fulham | |
| Chelsea 1 - 0 Man Utd | |
| West Ham 1 - 2 Everton | |
| Saturday 7th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Aston Villa 5 - 1 Bolton | |
| Blackburn 3 - 1 Portsmouth | |
| Tottenham 2 - 0 Sunderland | |
| Wolverhampton 1 - 4 Arsenal | |
| Man City 3 - 3 Burnley | |
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