After selling Robbie Keane back to Tottenham Hotspur on the final day of the January transfer window, Liverpool face something of a dilemma regarding the make-up of their squad.
The problem is that Fernando Torres is now essentially the Anfield giants' only first-team striker, unless one takes 19-year-old David N'Gog into consideration.
The Spanish superstar's injury record this season is a cause for concern, however, as his hamstring problems have limited him to just 13 Premier League appearances this term.
Nevertheless, Rafael Benitez believes he has a number of players at his disposal who can ably deputise should 'El Nino' suffer more fitness issues.
When asked if Keane would be sorely missed, the Reds boss said in The Daily Star, “I don’t think so because we have Torres.
“People have been saying, ‘Torres has been injured’, but we also have Dirk Kuyt, Ryan Babel and David N'Gog in the squad.”
Kuyt was a prolific centre-forward once upon a time, and people often forget that he actually scored 14 goals during his first season on Merseyside.
But the Dutchman, like his compatriot Babel (who is highly rated as a striker in his homeland), spends most of his time playing in a wide midfield role these days.
Steven Gerrard has instead partnered Torres in attack most regularly this term, a fact that proved significant in Keane's early exit from the club.
But Benitez has revealed that he has yet another playmaker in his ranks who may be used as a deep-lying forward at some point in the future.
“Yossi Benayoun can play as a second striker, so if we need to change players we can do that,” he said.
The Israeli has endured mixed fortunes since joining Liverpool from West Ham United in 2007, as he has been little more than a bit-part player - albeit a handy one.
While widely recognised as a creative wide-man, the 28-year-old has shown a knack for finding the net during his time at Anfield. He scored 11 goals last season, including a hat-trick against Besiktas in the Champions League.
The problem is that Fernando Torres is now essentially the Anfield giants' only first-team striker, unless one takes 19-year-old David N'Gog into consideration.
The Spanish superstar's injury record this season is a cause for concern, however, as his hamstring problems have limited him to just 13 Premier League appearances this term.
Nevertheless, Rafael Benitez believes he has a number of players at his disposal who can ably deputise should 'El Nino' suffer more fitness issues.
When asked if Keane would be sorely missed, the Reds boss said in The Daily Star, “I don’t think so because we have Torres.
“People have been saying, ‘Torres has been injured’, but we also have Dirk Kuyt, Ryan Babel and David N'Gog in the squad.”
Kuyt was a prolific centre-forward once upon a time, and people often forget that he actually scored 14 goals during his first season on Merseyside.
But the Dutchman, like his compatriot Babel (who is highly rated as a striker in his homeland), spends most of his time playing in a wide midfield role these days.
Steven Gerrard has instead partnered Torres in attack most regularly this term, a fact that proved significant in Keane's early exit from the club.
But Benitez has revealed that he has yet another playmaker in his ranks who may be used as a deep-lying forward at some point in the future.
“Yossi Benayoun can play as a second striker, so if we need to change players we can do that,” he said.
The Israeli has endured mixed fortunes since joining Liverpool from West Ham United in 2007, as he has been little more than a bit-part player - albeit a handy one.
While widely recognised as a creative wide-man, the 28-year-old has shown a knack for finding the net during his time at Anfield. He scored 11 goals last season, including a hat-trick against Besiktas in the Champions League.
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