Benitez faces left-back dilemma

Rafael Benitez faces a selection dilemma at left-back ahead of Liverpool's Premiership meeting with Burnley. Emiliano Insua has made the position his own in the opening four matches but Fabio Aurelio is pressing for a recall after recovering from injury

The 29-year-old has faced a fitness race this week and Reds boss Rafael Benitez welcomes his return:

"Fabio is a player with quality" said Benitez in the Echo.

"His delivery into the box, especially when we play at home, is excellent. He provides good passes and crosses which is really important.

"He has no match fitness but he is much better and he hasn't been away with his country so he has been training hard. Fabio knows exactly what we expect from him."

"We have really good competition now on the left with Insua, Aurelio and Dossena.

"That means a headache for me but that's good. It’s up to me to pick the right player."

Albert Riera and Ryan Babel are both fighting for the left wing role and both have complained at their lack of first team action. Babel has even declared he wishes a loan move to Ajax in January but Benitez has dismissed talk of the winger leaving Anfield.

"I've already talked with Riera and that's not a problem and I will talk with Ryan and analyse the situation with him," he said.

"What is clear is that if they want to play then they have to compete.

"Ryan has to perform for us. He has to be ready for this game or the next one because we have a lot of games before January.

"I’m not thinking about the possibility of him going out on loan. I’m just thinking about getting the best out of him."

Riera admits to flare up with Benitez

Albert Riera has admitted to having a flare up with Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez. The Spanish winger revealed the incident occurred when he didn't play in the Reds first game of the Premiership against Tottenham. Riera who had played in the Confederations Cup in the summer, joined up with the Reds squad late, along with the rest of the Spanish players and Benitez didn't think his fitness levels where up to scratch.

Speaking to the Spanish press ahead of today's world cup qualifier against Belgium, Riera said:

“I didn’t play the first game because I started training late after the Confederations Cup, like Pepe Reina and Fernando Torres. I was angry and had a flare-up at Benitez, but the day I don’t get angry for being a substitute I will retire,” reports the Echo.

However despite the heated exchange Albert Riera insists he has nothing but admiration for Benitez, stating he is a 'special' manager.

“Benitez is a special coach who defends his own. I know he is with me, because he said so.”

Transfer Speculation: Albert Riera

Albert Riera

Today there is speculation in the press linking Liverpool winger Albert Riera with Barcelona. The papers claim the Nou Camp club have moved their interest from Mascherano to the Spanish winger who was rested for the Reds opening game against Spurs yesterday. The story says:

"Barcelona's sporting director, Txiki Begiristain, admits the club may not make any more moves in the transfer market, despite his coach's belief that the squad is too small. The European champions have all but given up on bringing Arsenal's Cesc Fábregas back to Camp Nou and speculation is rife that they have switched their attention to the Liverpool winger Albert Riera," says the Guardian.

The article adds: "The former Espanyol player is the latest in a long list to be linked to Barça, who have signed only Maxwell and Zlatan Ibrahimovic this summer."

The story however fails to provide further evidence to support their claim, offering no quote by any Barcelona official expressing interest in the player.