REINA FIT FOR ATHENS SHOWPIECE

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has confirmed that goalkeeper Jose Reina is fit for next week's Champions League final against AC Milan.

However Benitez has a dilemma over who to play on each flank in Athens.

Reina injured a shoulder at Fulham and was left out of the final home league game against Charlton as a precaution.

But the Spanish star has trained normally all week in La Manga to dispel fears he would struggle to face Milan on Wednesday.

But Benitez, who returns from Spain with his squad on Saturday, accepts his key problems involve the wings.

He said: "We certainly have options on both wings, these are the areas I am having to consider carefully. This involves Bolo (Zenden), Harry (Kewell) and Jermaine (Pennant) and I have not yet made my decision."

Kewell's recent return to fitness after a season out recovering from groin operations, has placed him in Benitez's thoughts for the key left-wing role.

Kewell is believed to have trained well in Spain this week, but Benitez must decide whether he will have enough match fitness to oust Zenden, who played in both semi-final legs against Chelsea.

Zenden is out of contract this summer, and whether he has a longer-term future with the club will depend on Benitez's decision over the European final.

Benitez must also decide whether Pennant plays on the right, but he has no intention of giving any indication on that because it would instantly confirm that Steven Gerrard will play in his favoured central midfield role.

The manager could also use John Arne Riise on the left of midfield with Alvaro Arbeloa at full-back.

Benitez has only Luis Garcia and Fabio Aurelio on the injured list, although Mohamed Sissoko's chances of playing have been handicapped by injury.

Benitez told Liverpoolfctv: "Jerzy Dudek is also fit after a groin problem, so both my goalkeepers will be okay. Sissoko has started training and we will see, but I think all are okay."

Benitez added: "We looked at all the players in the training camp and in every training session people were talking about Harry Kewell.

"He played well for half an hour against Charlton but we needed to see whether he is fit and then decide if he can play from the start or not. There's a lot for me to decide yet.

"What I know at the moment is that we are focused and we will be ready. The players are really thinking about this game and you could see in previous matches that as much as you tried to push them, their minds were already on the final.

"The only thing we can do now is to prepare properly for the game and approach it with confidence because it's easy to become nervous or stressed."
Team Talk 18 May 2007