Benitez's concerns continue to mount

Liverpool v B Leverkusen Anfield 7:45: On TV: TV3 Frustration is eating away at Rafael Benitez. Last week he felt compelled to denounce his players' inconsistencies, while yesterday he voiced public irritation at comments made by Harry Kewell's entourage.

Yet underpinning his concerns is the knowledge Liverpool enter this evening's pivotal tie with Bayer Leverkusen stripped of their captain and inspiration, Steven Gerrard.

The Merseysiders have had more than two months to come to terms with the repercussions of the midfielder's caution for a foul on Olympiakos's Ieroklis Stoltidis at Anfield in the last group game. There were bullish words from John Arne Riise last night, an effort to persuade all that Liverpool can cope without their captain, though that the Norwegian also described him as "the best midfielder in the world" tempered any optimism.

Liverpool have needed to prove they are more than a one-man team for some time, though that they must do just that tonight against Leverkusen - the side who knocked them off their stride when Gerard Houllier claimed they were "10 games from greatness" three years ago - is daunting. With Xabi Alonso, their only other player in Gerrard's class, a long-term injury absentee, Igor Biscan and Dietmar Hamann are left to fill the void as best they can.

Gerrard will be in the dressing-room for Benitez's final team talk.

"Stevie is the best midfielder in the world," said Riise. "He's proved time and time again how important he is for us. It gives you confidence playing alongside him, knowing he's there, but we'll have to do without that.

"This is a challenge to show we can cope without him. He was injured for around two months earlier this season and we got by, so we know we must do that again."

Liverpool's record was hardly staggering in that period between September and November, with four points gleaned from three Champions League fixtures and two losses in seven Premiership matches.

"Steve is an important player, and even more so given we've lost Xabi," said Benitez. "Didi Hamann and Biscan are different types of players, but Gerrard is similar to Xabi in terms of the pace he puts on the pass. They are the best passers (at the club), but we must cope."

Benitez's mood has not been improved by comments made by the Australia coach Frank Farina over the weekend suggesting Liverpool were risking Kewell's wellbeing by refusing to allow the midfielder to undergo surgery to cure a long-standing groin problem. The 26-year-old, whose agent, Bernie Mandic, has been equally eager to voice his concerns publicly, is likely to return to the side tonight for the first time since the 3-1 win over Newcastle in December.

Liverpool are suspicious that both Mandic's and Farina's priorities are the Confederations Cup in the summer, rather than Liverpool now.

"He's fit and has been training normally for the last nine days," said an irritated Benitez. "We have a very good medical department who have assessed his fitness, and he can play. A lot of people around Harry are always talking about him, but he's our player, we pay his wages, so we control him.

"We want to see the best of Harry Kewell. I don't know whether the manager or the agent are doctors. We've only seen him at his best sometimes, not all the time."

Kewell has yet to justify a lofty reputation this season, though the knock-out tie should provide an opportunity to excel. Leverkusen may have won four of their last five Bundesliga games, but they are not the force they were when eliminating Liverpool and, in the semi-finals, Manchester United in 2002.

Their captain, Jens Nowotny, is injured, while much of the travelling squad's kit was left accidentally on the plane which returned to Germany yesterday.

There is also revenge to drive Liverpool on. Under Houllier, Bayer were beaten 1-0 at Anfield at the quarter-final stage and, when pegged back to 3-2 in the return, were within six minutes of elimination on the away-goals rule. The Brazilian Lucio's late fourth saw them prevail in the Ruhr that night.