Cisse back for Juve clash

Djibril Cisse has been included in the Liverpool squad to face Juventus.

The French international has been out of action after sustaining a horrific leg break against Blackburn in October, and was originally expected to be sidelined for a year.

Although recent reports suggested that the striker could have been in line for an emotional return before the end of the season, his inclusion in the European side is a surprise given that he only returned to training in late March.

The return of the summer signing from Auxerre will give Liverpool's injury ravaged squad a massive boost as captain Steven Gerrard has been ruled out with a groin injury.

However Spanish star Xabi Alonso could feature after recovering from a broken ankle, and Benitez denied that playing Cisse represented a risk whilst acknowledging that he was not match fit.

"Injured players, bad news, Gerrard is not fit, good news Alonso is in the squad and Cisse is in the squad also, but I don't know how to say in English, but big problems, big solutions," said Benitez.

"He [Cisse] will not start, sure no, but the question is he's training with the team and maybe if we need something different he can play.

"No, for play no [it is not a risk], the question about the player is not a risk, the problem is that he has not the intensity that maybe you need in these kind of games, but he has the quality, a clever player.

"Then we need to decide if we will use another player first, then second half we can use Xabi, if he will start we don't know in this moment."

Benitez also revealed that he did not want to risk aggravating Gerrard's injury, and that the most sensible course of action was to leave Liverpool's driving force at home for the trip to Stadio Delle Alpi.

The former Valencia coach also has a selection dilemma at the back as Jerzy Dudek could be fit to challenge Scott Carson for the goalkeeper's jersey, and after the young Englishman gifted Fabio Cannavaro a vital away goal in the first leg, Benitez admitted he would have to monitor Carson's state of mind.

"We prefer to know quickly the situation of the player," Benitez remarked about Gerrard.

"We decided yesterday maybe he is a doubt, maybe we say okay you can go, and after until the end it's better because it was a risk and we did not want to lose the player for the rest of the season.

"I want to see how is Jerzy and how is Scott, one in terms of fitness and condition and the other one in mental condition.

"But I have confidence in both and Scott is a very good goalkeeper and the question now is I have to decide for an important game, how is each one."

Liverpool face their Italian opponents 20 years on from the Heysel Stadium disaster and, after some Bianconeri fans turned their backs on a pre-match message of friendship in the first leg, Benitez held out hope that football would be the focus of the rematch.

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry has already appealed to the club's fans not to make an outward show of their support for the Premiership outfit in Turin, and their manager echoed his sentiments in hoping that the second leg could be a springboard for good future relations between the European giants.

"I hope that we will see a great atmosphere, a lot of supporters supporting [their] team, and our players concentrating on the game and thinking only about football and trying to win.

"I think that we have to say the same things, we have a clear idea, it is an important game, not only for the result, it is an important game for the future.

"We have done all the things for having in the future a good relationship, and we will try to do the same."