RAFAEL BENITEZ looks set to be thumbing through his diary after the fixtures for the 2009/10 Barclays Premier League campaign landed Liverpool with some tough scheduling after European games.

Benitez was embroiled in a row with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson last season, during which he claimed Liverpool were “handicapped” by the timings of matches – even quipping his rival should perhaps “organise the fixtures and everything in his office and send them to us”.

After the opening games of the new Champions League season on September 15/16, Liverpool are set to travel to West Ham, while all of their rivals will be at home – United involved in the Manchester derby which could well be switched to a Sunday kick-off giving the league champions more recovery time.

On Matchday Two, Liverpool head to title rivals Chelsea, while again United and Arsenal are also at home.

Benitez and Ferguson will go head to head at Anfield on October 24, which follows the third of the opening Champions League group games.

Chelsea are at home, while the Gunners, should they qualify, would face only a short trip across London to West Ham.

Not until after Matchday Four do the Reds appear to get a break, when they host promoted Birmingham, while United go to Stamford Bridge that weekend and Arsenal are at Wolves.

The small matter of the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park follows Champions League Matchday Five on the weekend of November 28, when Arsenal will host Chelsea.