Liverpool fans will have been glad to hear that the long awaited 90 minute debut for one Alberto Aquilani has been promised tonight. Manager Rafa Benitez has said that it is perfect to start him in a game where there is no pressure, and that “he has waited for his chance and now it has arrived”.

Since his arrival at Anfield four months ago, the £20 million signing has played less than twenty minutes of first team football, with appearances in the Carling Cup and Champions League. With no appearances yet in the Premier League, and Benitez justifying the delay to his domestic league debut by saying it would have been “wrong to play him in difficult, physical, games against Everton and Blackburn”, he finally makes his first start in front of the Anfield fans.



The fans may be wondering, of course, after the reasoning so far has been allowing the player to adapt slowly to a totally different pace of game than what he was used to back at Roma, where the use is in playing him against an Italian side in a pointless match.

Fiorentina will go to Anfield with a win and clinching the top of Group E on their minds, but this is unlikely to phase Benitez’ choices. Torres has been named on the bench and both Reina and Kuyt look likely to sit this one out. This gives Diego Cavalieri a chance to feature in nets, while another point of interest for the fans may be finally getting to see the young Daniel Pacheco work his magic for the first team.