Aquilani and Martin Kelly pair eyes starting roles

TWO Liverpool players are hoping to force their way into first-team contention — starting tonight against Lille.

Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani and young Liverpudlian Martin Kelly will both be involved in the Europa League last 16 clash. Anfield boss Rafa Benitez has hinted Aquilani's encouraging cameo performance at Wigan on Monday has pushed him into contention.

He said: "He had more mobility and he was trying to be involved. The team was working harder when he came on and Alberto was trying to help dictate play. We need people with energy and we need people with desire. If they show this on the pitch and in training, we will think about them more. The problem we have with him, though, is match fitness. He has got to play some games in a row and we have had conversations about this.

"He wants to be playing but the situation of the team does not allow you if he doesn't have that match fitness. If Alberto has time to develop, it will be different next season. We know this. But we cannot wait for next season. If he can give us something, we have to use him now. We will monitor him in every training session to see what he can do."

After a star man performance against Lyon in the Champions League at Anfield last October, defender Kelly was forced to spend the next three months on the sidelines due to an ankle problem. The 19-year-old said: "The ankle feels fine now and it's good to be fit again and train without any problems. The injury came at a bad time for me because I could have got more chances but that's football and you've got to get over your injuries and come back stronger."

And in what has been an injury-plagued season, Reds winger Yossi Benayoun is the latest to be sidelined. The Israel international picked up an ankle injury during the shock 1-0 defeat at Wigan.