Rafael Benitez believes Javier Mascherano will become a Liverpool player - even if Fifa do not answer the Anfield club's appeal to be allowed to sign the Argentina international before the transfer window closes tomorrow night.
Liverpool want to take Mascherano from West Ham on loan, even though he has already played for two clubs in the last 12 months. Fifa's rules forbid a player having three clubs in that time, but Liverpool launched an appeal to be allowed to sign Mascherano, who has played only five games for West Ham - and none since November - since his controversial signing last summer, along with countryman Carlos Tevez.
Benitez, who takes his side to face West Ham at Upton Park tonight for a game crucial to both ends of the Premiership table, believes he will get his man in the end.
Benitez said: "We are waiting for Fifa to make a decision, but even if that does not come before the deadline, I believe he will still be able to join us."
It appears the only way that could happen then is if West Ham tear up his contract and make Mascherano a free agent. Benitez admitted: "That is an option." Another option for Liverpool is to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The Liverpool boss added: "I hope he will join us, he has great experience. We know the rule says he cannot play for three clubs, but he is unable to play at West Ham and we must take into consideration the law, and the law is more important than the rules. He is unable to work at the moment, nobody can say you cannot work."
Benitez has trailed the midfielder since before last summer's World Cup, and said: "We were aware of the player when he was at River Plate, he was in the national team at 18. There is no doubt about the quality of the player.
"He played well in the World Cup and he is a great professional with talent and quality."
Liverpool may have the midfielders Mohamed Sissoko and Bolo Zenden back in contention after shoulder and ankle injuries. Otherwise, apart from Luis Garcia and Harry Kewell, Rafael Benitez has a full squad.
Benitez knows that he will be facing a club in turmoil, with only one league win under new boss Alan Curbishley and a serious injury crisis. Striker Dean Ashton has suffered a setback in his attempt to return from injury but Curbishley has ruled out a move for Charlton's Darren Bent and may have to settle for the loan acquisition of the 23-year-old Spaniard Kepa Blanco from Sevilla as the only addition to their forward line in the January transfer window.
Ashton will need five more weeks to make the first team. New signing Lucas Neill, who was close to joining Liverpool last week, is set to be out of action for around two weeks with the ankle injury picked up on his debut against Watford at the weekend.
But Benitez believes it will be a tough game, saying: "West Ham players should be more motivated with a new manager."
Wigan's manager Paul Jewell will hope his new signing Caleb Folan can lift his side's spirits as they seek to avoid a club-record eighth league defeat in a row away to Reading. The 24-year-old striker, a £500,000 acquisition from Chesterfield, goes straight into the squad but Jewell must do without five injured players in David Cotterill, Fitz Hall, Henri Camara, Arjan de Zeeuw and Paul Scharner.
Shane Long, who is hoping for a call-up to the Ireland squad for the forthcoming European Champions game against San Marino, is expected to return to Reading's starting line-up after a thigh injury so Dave Kitson is likely to be rested on the bench as Steve Coppell's side aim to extend their unbeaten run to six matches.
Neil Warnock will make a late decision on whether to include the brothers Alan and Stephen Quinn in Sheffield United's side against Fulham after the death of their sister's boyfriend, who was shot last week. Both will return to Ireland after the match. Keith Gillespie and the captain, Chris Morgan, are suspended.
The Fulham signings Simon Davies and Alexei Smertin could figure in the plans of manager Chris Coleman, who has no fresh injury concerns and is expected to keep faith with the squad that beat Stoke 3-0 in the FA Cup.
Djimi Traore returns to Portsmouth's defence to face Middlesbrough after he was cup-tied for Saturday's FA Cup defeat to Manchester United, so Lauren will play in midfield. Harry Redknapp must decide between Andrew Cole, Nwankwo Kanu and Benjani Mwaruwari for two starting places up front and may recall Lomana LuaLua to the bench after eight weeks out with a thigh injury.
Middlesbrough's captain George Boateng returns from suspension but Gareth Southgate may be without his striker Mark Viduka, recovering from a hamstring strain, as he seeks revenge for a 4-0 home defeat to Pompey in August.
