Xabi returns for Liverpool

By Adrian Clarke

Broken ankle
Influential midfield player Alonso has been out of action since New Year's Day with a broken ankle, but Reds boss Rafael Benítez looks set to pitch him straight back into the starting lineup in the absence of 24-year-old Gerrard, who suffered a groin strain at the weekend against Manchester City FC.

'Ready to play'
"I feel ready to play against Juventus if selected," Alonso told uefa.com. "I am fully recuperated and I have felt very comfortable with both my game and overall fitness for the reserves. I can play against Juve and I want to play. I am keen to give my all to help Liverpool reach the semi-final."

Wavering form
Liverpool have been inconsistent throughout the season in the Premiership and are lagging behind Merseyside rivals Everton FC in the race for the fourth and final Champions League qualifying spot available to English club sides. However, the Reds have been inspired in European competition this term, and no better example of that form was their outstanding performance in defeating Fabio Capello's Juventus side 2-1 at Anfield last week.

'Magnificent job'
Alonso said: "Our first-leg performance against Juve proved we can beat anyone in Europe. The team did a magnificent job on the night and in many ways I thought we deserved to score even more goals. Everyone who watched that match must have been impressed and I think we showed Liverpool can achieve what it wants if we play that way. I am sure we can produce another performance here in Turin to match the first half we had at Anfield.

Concentration essential
"I am confident of getting a good result in Turin, but I do believe our defence will need to be immense to keep out the likes of Pavel Nedved, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Trezeguet again," he continued. "With these big name players against us it's massively important that we keep the ball when we have it. If we squander possession and allow them to control the ball and create chances, we will get killed. We have to play an intelligent game and control the pattern of the match. If we can make one key pass and score a goal it will be so, so important."

Depleted side
A much-depleted Liverpool side is expected to take the field in Turin, with Fernando Morientes, Jerzy Dudek, Harry Kewell, Mauricio Pellegrino, Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Gerrard missing, although striker Djibril Cissé could unexpectedly feature after recovering from a broken leg. But Alonso is confident that coach Benítez can conjure up a surprising result.

Wise coach
"Benítez is the perfect coach to have when it comes to European matches," he said. "He is a very good trainer and by studying our opponents carefully, he knows exactly how to win big games tactically. He knows the Champions League well and is an expert in understanding different European styles."

Significant occasion
The significance of these two clubs meeting for the first time since the 1985 Heysel tragedy is also not lost on the Spaniard, who has urged both sets of supporters to act appropriately on Wednesday night. He said: "I hope that everyone in the stadium respects each other and behaves. I really am hoping that it will be a celebration of football and that there will be no violence in the stands."