English FA Cup / Liverpool v Birmingham: Mohamed Sissoko could make a return to Liverpool's first team tonight wearing protective glasses after recovering from the eye injury that had threatened his career.
The Mali international has been training in the glasses for a fortnight and has been included in the squad, with Liverpool still aggrieved they have been forced to play the tie a little more than 48 hours after they won at Newcastle in the Premiership.
Squad resources have been stretched sufficiently for Rafael Benitez to consider Sissoko, having explored various means of protecting the left eye damaged at Benfica four weeks ago. Sissoko was accidentally kicked in the Champions League defeat and, after losing his sight, spent a night in hospital in Lisbon before consulting a London specialist, who confirmed the retina had been seriously damaged.
There were concerns there could be permanent damage or, at best, his vision might be seriously impaired. But once the swelling had receded, his recovery has been encouraging. The 20-year-old returned to training a fortnight ago and, having experimented with eyewear, could feature at St Andrew's.
"I don't know if Momo will play," said Benitez, "but we have been trying different types of glasses to protect the eye and we will have to see."
Sissoko is expected to start on the bench, but Liverpool's may well call on his energy at some point, with Benitez critical of the Football Association's scheduling of the tie.
While television dictated the Newcastle match should take place on Sunday, the FA and Sven-Goran Eriksson's desire to have a fourth week of preparation before the World Cup finals has seen the quarter-finals crammed into midweek, though Benitez warns that the decision could backfire should the likes of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher be injured at Birmingham.
"If you lose two or three players during the season, how can that help England?" he said. "We will see if it is counter-productive, but I know you will not see the best of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher if they're forced to play twice in three days. All the English players, if they play two games in three days, will be more at risk.
"The people who decide these things must realise that it is impossible for players to play at their best if they have to play twice in three days at this level."
BIRMINGHAM CITY (probable): Maik Taylor; Melchiot, Cunningham, Martin Taylor, Clapham; Pennant, Johnson, Kilkenny, Clemence, Lazaridis; Forssell.
LIVERPOOL (possible): Reina; Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore; Luis Garcia, Gerrard, Alonso, Kewell; Morientes, Fowler.
Referee: R Styles.
Anfield, 7.45 On TV: Sky Sports 1
