Harry Kewell has been out injured all season and has only played a few minutes for the first team in the last two games, but such are Liverpool`s problems on the left wing that the Australian could and should start against AC Milan in Athens.
Kewells return from injury has handed Rafa Benitez one of the toughest decisions of his managerial career. Kewell is physically fit but has had so little playing time he would not normally warrant a start in a game of the magnitude that is the Champions Leagu Final, but he has become a contender for a starting berth for two reasons, one being that he has been impressive since his comeback. Against Charlton he turned the game when he came on setting up Alonso`s goal, coming close to scoring himself when he hit the post and finally rounded off his day by scoring a penalty.
But the more compelling reason why he should start in Istanbul is because the other options are Bolo Zenden or Mark Gonzalez. Riise could play there but he really is the only natural left back we have and he seems to be more of a threat when he runs from deep and has another attacking player on the wing to play off, so i think like the Chelsea game Rafa will keep Riise in his natural position.
Zendon and Gonzalez should not start, Zendon is just simply not up to this standard of Football, the first leg against Chelsea showed how bad he actually is, he had more attacking opportunities than anyone on the pitch but wasted one after another and seemed content to just win corners. Gonzalez ability is still very unknown, considering all the hype that surrounded his arrival at Anfield he has been a disappointment this year, but he deserves one more season as he is still young and he has shown glimpses of the player we had hoped he would be.
So as impossible as is seemed even just two weeks ago Kewell has given himself a chance to turn a total nightmare of a season into a fairytale ending. He is a player who has had an injury plagued time at Liverpool and has not had it easy, but because of these injuries Liverpool Football Club and its fans have never seen the best of Kewell and it is easy to forget how good he actually is. A lot of people expect Kewell to leave Anfield this summer, but i hope like Gonzalez Rafa gives him one more season to see what an injury free Harry Kewell can offer Liverpool.
Rafa played Zendon in the two Chelsea legs so we must assume he is once again the favourite to start in Athens, but it was clear to see in the Charlton game where Zendon started and was replaced by Kewell, that even a match unfit Harry Kewell is a much better player than a fully fit Zendon.
Benitez has already hinted that Kewell has a chance of starting by saying that he may be able to last sixty minutes or so, but as always with Rafa`s team selection we would be surprised not to be surprised.
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