Martin Skrtel set for debut at Anfield

Jan 21 2008 by Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo

Liverpool FC's Martin Skrtel _320

MARTIN SKRTEL is in line to make his Liverpool debut at home to Aston VIlla tonight – with his manager adamant he is ready for his bow in English football.

The Slovak international became Liverpool’s record signing for a defender when he moved from Zenit St Petersburg for a fee of £6.5m earlier this month.

And having seen his early attempts to get to grips with English football in training at Melwood, Benitez believes the time is now right to plunge Skrtel in at the Premier League deep end.

“We need to consider the fact that Jamie Carragher and Sami Hyypia have been playing almost every single game,” said Benitez.

“Martin is definitely an option for us. I am really pleased with him and with the work he has done with us on the training ground since he joined us.

“We have been doing some things that he wasn’t used to doing but he has picked things up really quickly.

“He doesn’t talk too much English but he does understand and I have been explaining things to him.

“On Friday he was training alongside Carra and he did well. Villa is a difficult game and they have good forwards but I think he will be ready.”

One of the elements of Skrtel’s game which has impressed Benitez most is his physical approach and the Reds boss believes this will stand him in good stead as he makes his way in English football.

He said: “Everything is really positive. The only problem we had was that Martin had not been doing much training before he joined us because the league season in Russia had ended a month earlier.

“But he is very strong and if we need to use him then he can play.

“When we were talking about signing him we were talking about his qualities and his physical approach to the game was one of them.

“I think that he will be okay.”

Apart from Daniel Agger, who is again struggling with a recurrence of his ongoing metatarsal problem, Benitez has a full squad to choose from.

Pepe Reina will return in goal having made way for Charles Itandje in last week’s 5-0 FA Cup win over Luton and Javier Mascherano will return to the squad having been rested for that game.