Injuries weaken PSV for visit of Liverpool

EINDHOVEN, Netherlands (Reuters) - Liverpool will start favourites but PSV Eindhoven coach Ronald Koeman will fancy another English scalp when the Dutch club host the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday.

Koeman's side put out Arsenal in the first knockout round in March and last season, when he was in charge of Portugal's Benfica, he outwitted Liverpool counterpart Rafael Benitez at the same stage to knock out the then defending champions.

Koeman's Benfica also consigned Manchester United to bottom place in their group last season with a 2-1 home victory.

PSV are riddled with injury problems, however, for the visit of a Liverpool side who looked in fine fettle when beating Arsenal 4-1 on Saturday to go third in the Premier League.

Towering Brazilian defender Alex, whose header knocked Arsenal out at The Emirates Stadium, is sidelined by injury while Ivorian striker Arouna Kone suffered a knee injury in that game and has not played since.

Youngster Ibrahim Afellay, capped for the first time by the Netherlands last week, is also struggling to recover from a hamstring injury picked up during Saturday's 1-1 draw at NAC Breda -- a result that meant PSV's lead in Dutch league was trimmed to two points.

"We don't have the fittest squad at this moment," said Koeman, "but we will not give up despite two matches against Liverpool in a week.

"Afellay is a major doubt. We have problems battling for silverware on two fronts."

PSYCHOLOGICAL EDGE