Alberto Aquilani

He returned to the field of play in January 2009 but was injured again within a few weeks returning on the 11th March as a substitute against Arsenal for a few minutes. He did not play for the rest of the season but signed a new contract with AS Roma in May 2009 that would keep him for a further three years. But as fate would have it, he was sold by AS Roma to Liverpool in August 2009 although still suffering from an ankle injury.

This came as a surprise to many Liverpool supporters including myself, who could not understand the logic of buying an injured player. He was given the number four shirt that had previously been worn by Sami Hyypia and everyone wondered if he would indeed be as good? We are still unfortunately waiting for that question to be answered. Alberto although now supposedly fully fit, has played approximately only half an hour. This included a fifteen minutes appearance in the Reserve game against Sunderland which ended with a score of 2-1 to Liverpool. His next appearance was the Carling cup against Arsenal in October when Liverpool 2-1. Since then Alberto has made cameo appearances for the team, coming on late in the games at Birmingham and Debrecen.

It has now got to the point where the supporters are wondering if we will ever see him play a full ninety minutes. Liverpool Football Club has had its own share of injuries this season and it does seem silly to have a player that needs match practise to help bring him up to match fitness, sitting on the bench throughout each game. It is as though he is being used as a status symbol, a kind of 'look what I got'. Going by what I have heard about the way he plays, we certainly could have used him in the Merseyside Derby last weekend. Although we had won the game, there was still something lacking within the team.

I am sure it has also got the point now where the player himself is beginning to ask the same questions. It cannot be easy for him to sit and watch his teammates play, knowing that he could be out there helping them. Sensing that things are now getting out of hand, Rafa Benitez has come out to try and dispel the mystery about his prolonged absence.

The match that Rafa was apparently looking at for his full debut was the Wigan reserve game but this was unfortunately called off. That's fine matches do get called off but there always other's in its place.

Rafa has said that he will not risk players that are not fully fit. I am sorry, I know that we have now reached the point of desperation regarding the players, but if that is the case why has Stevie G, Benayoun, Agger and Aurelio been on the pitch. There has got to be a point where Rafa is going to have to risk him. Will it be this weekend at Blackburn I wonder? It would be lovely so him, after all he did cost the club a reported £20million, which is an awful lot of money to have sitting on a bench.

Will it take a meeting between Rafa, Kenny and Sammy Lee to make him realise that he really does need to use the player. There is no way we are going to see Alberto at his best even if he does play, because he simply has not had the match practise that he needs. I know I have no right to criticize but I do often wonder if the staff at Melwood actually know what they are doing. One moment he is ready to play the next, due to the questions that are now being asked, he is not. On Sunday, it was clear that Stevie G was not really ready to play, but he did and I commend him for that. It cannot be easy playing through the pain barrier but knowing the importance of the game he tried.

I await the team sheet on Saturday with interest. If Alberto is on the bench, I guess we won't see him play for more than a few minutes. If he is in the first eleven, then perhaps we will have a treat in store.