Benitez to frustrate Keane further

RAFAEL BENITEZ is considering adding to Robbie Keane's frustrations at Liverpool by omitting the £23.5 million striker from his starting line-up at Blackburn Rovers this afternoon.

The Liverpool manager yesterday refused to guarantee a place for Keane at Ewood Park despite the continued absence through injury of Fernando Torres and with the Premier League leaders seeking their first league goal in three matches.

Benitez withdrew the Republic of Ireland striker for the 15th time in his brief Liverpool career against West Ham United on Monday, when he admitted Keane is lacking in confidence after only four goals this season, and he is expected to relegate the forward to the substitutes' bench at Blackburn.

"He is working hard as always in training and practising in every training session but I cannot guarantee a position to anyone, we have to win," the Liverpool manager said. "He is in the same situation as the rest of the players. We can talk about 10 or 15 players who cost more than £20 million (€23 million) in other teams, and you can see two or three of them on the bench every week and people don't talk about them all the time. We know that because we only have two players of that value, then people will talk about them. But for me, it's not a question of the value of the player. To me he's just another player and that's it."

Keane's disbelief was apparent when replaced by David Ngog on Monday but, despite frequently withdrawing the summer signing, Benitez insists he has complete faith in the former Spurs striker.

"The best way to support him is to talk about what he can improve and what he can do," said the Spaniard. "If you change a player 15 times in 18 games, and he has played 22 of our 24 games so far this season, then that's the best way. We have six more months, so I can pick him a lot of times during that. I cannot guarantee a position to anyone."

Liverpool's manager also refused to put a time-scale on Torres' anticipated return from his third hamstring injury of the season, despite his record signing returning to Spain to visit a specialist this week. Benitez explained: "The meeting with the Spanish doctor and physio was really good. They agree with us and our diagnosis. It was the same problem as before, he has scar tissue. We have to work in that area and try to make the muscle stronger. I cannot say when he will play next. I don't want to put the player under any pressure."

Despite the presence on Merseyside this week of the Liverpool co-owner George Gillett, Benitez admitted there is no resolution in sight on his new contract. "My advisors are talking to the club and for me that is a positive," he said. When asked if a deal was close, however, the Liverpool manager responded; "No. But the end has to be sooner rather than later."

• Guardian Service