Liverpool v Everton: Steven Pienaar winning race to be fit

Mar 28 2008

STEVEN PIENAAR is winning his battle to be fit for the Merseyside derby – as Kim Kallstrom opened the door to a possible summer move to Everton.

With Tim Cahill almost certainly ruled out for the rest of the season, Blues boss David Moyes should be able to fill that void with Pienaar, who was bed-ridden last weekend with a severe case of gastroenteritis.

However, the South African international has not shown any ill effects in training this week after missing the 1-1 draw with West Ham and is poised to return to the starting line-up at Anfield.

Moyes, who is keeping his cards close to his chest during the build-up to round 207 of this neighbourly tussle, is now waiting to see how Joseph Yobo and Andrew Johnson respond to treatment in the next 48 hours before naming his starting line-up, but one man definitely pushing for a start is Leighton Baines, who made an impressive return to action last weekend after a frustrating spell on the sidelines and would relish the battle at Anfield.

“I came on as a substitute in the last derby so I’d love to start this time around,” said Baines, the most expensive defender in Everton’s history.

“It’s difficult here, nobody is guaranteed to play. Hopefully I’ll be starting and that would be fantastic but if not I’ll have to be ready if called upon like last time and try to come on and do a job.”