Sinama out of the picture

The 19-year-old Former Le Havre forward terrorised yet another Premiership defence with his potent mix of blistering pace and trickery before he was injured when denied what seemed to be a clear-cut penalty after a late tackle from compatriot Franck Quedrue.

With Michael Owen still searching for fitness following a number of recent injuries and Emile Heskey remaining unconvincing in front of goal, the absence of the young Kop hero would be a huge blow for Gerard Houllier ahead of a difficult tie with a strong Romanian outfit.

"I hope Florent will be available for Thursday but I don't know at this stage. He has heavy swelling on his ankle and we will have to see how it settles down," admitted a downcast Houllier.