Finnan fighting for fitness

The former Fulham defender struggled to make an impact during Saturday's 2-0 defeat to Valencia but the Reds manager accepts that the 27-year-old needs more time to prove his worth to the Anfield cause.

Houllier said: "We can't assess Steve Finnan yet as he is only just coming back to fitness. He had an operation when he was at Fulham and only played his first 45 minutes of the season against Aberdeen on Tuesday.

"He played 45 minutes against Valencia and struggled at times but that was understandable."