Updated Mar 16, 2011 10:19 AM ET
Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish is surprised UEFA have not taken retrospective action against Braga defender Kaka for his elbow on Andy Carroll.
The Reds' record signing was caught full on the nose by the Brazilian late in the second half of their Europa League last-16 first-leg defeat in Portugal last week.
Dalglish was asked what impact the £35million striker had made on his European debut for the club he joined in January, having come on as a substitute.
"Regards Andy Carroll and impact, the biggest impact was what I was asked about after the game about him getting caught with the elbow from Kaka," he told a press conference ahead of Thursday's second leg at Anfield.
"That will probably be what Andy remembers from the game.
"I never saw it in the game but I've seen it since and if there is no retribution from UEFA it will be a real surprise for me."
Carroll has made two substitute appearances since recovering from a thigh injury which has sidelined him since December 28.
Liverpool need to win to progress and there is a clamour for Carroll to start at Anfield on Thursday, but Dalglish said he was not sure whether that would happen.
"The fitter he gets the more tempting it will be but when that day comes I don't know," he added.
"He is fit and well but what we do with him remains to be seen.
"Whether we will start with him or he comes on in the second half will be decided by how he does in training and what we think is best for us tomorrow night."
Dalglish also said captain Steven Gerrard had begun recovery work after a groin operation last week which is expected to keep him out for a month.
"Steven has had his operation and he feels good," added the Scot.
"He has started his rehabilitation already."
Former European champions Liverpool, Ajax and PSV Eindhoven must dig themselves out of trouble on Thursday if they are to make the quarterfinals of this season's Europa League.
Liverpool is 1-0 down from the first leg at Portuguese side Braga and with Premier League rival Manchester City behind 2-0 to Ukrainian giant Dynamo Kiev, England is struggling to have any representation in the last eight of Europe's second-tier knockout competition.
Dutch champion FC Twente is ahead 3-0 going into its second leg at 2008 winner Zenit St. Petersburg but the Netherlands' two other teams are in poor positions from their first legs.
Four-time European champion Ajax goes to Spartak Moscow looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit and PSV is locked at 0-0 ahead of the second leg at Scottish champion Rangers.
The Champions League is Liverpool's usual home in European competition but after a poor 2009-10 season, the Reds were forced to spend a year in the Europa League and have enjoyed fairly serene progress until the last 16.
Braga outplayed the three-time competition winner and five-time European champion in the first leg last Thursday but will find it much harder now that Liverpool is back at Anfield.
''We want to be playing at the highest level we possibly can. To do that we have to win matches, starting with the game tomorrow night,'' Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish said. ''We've got to win by two goals to maintain our European status this year.
''Every game for us is really important. European football and this football club are synonymous. We'd love that to continue.''
England international Steven Gerrard is missing with a groin injury, depriving Liverpool of its captain and midfield heartbeat, but Dalglish is weighing up whether to give record signing Andy Carroll a first start for the club up front.
Progression to the FA Cup semifinals and an outside chance of the Premier League title may take Man City's eye off the ball in the Europa League.
The big-spending northwest club was easily beaten in the Ukrainian capital but winger Shaun Wright-Phillips insists the desire is still there to eliminate Dynamo.
''We believe we can beat Kiev. If we create one or two chances and we take them, then it's a whole new ball game,'' the England player said. ''We know we have to go out there and start firing straight from kickoff and create as many chances as possible. You never know what may happen.''
James Milner could make the bench for City after recovering from a nagging hamstring injury.
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Ajax will be without Maarten Stekelenburg for its trip to Moscow after the Netherlands goalkeeper broke his right thumb in a training-ground incident last week.
His replacement, Jeroen Verhoeven, is expected to take his place despite recent criticism of his weight since stepping in as cover.
''If I knew how to lose the weight I'd be very thin,'' said Verhoeven, who was blamed for conceding Ajax's goal in the 3-1 win over Willem II on Sunday. ''I do all I can to shed the pounds - I do extra training - but it doesn't work.''
Right back Gregory van der Wiel trained separately Tuesday because of a minor knock to his thigh but he is expected to be fit for Ajax, which is third in the Dutch league and has struggled for goals in Europe since star striker Luis Suarez transferred to Liverpool in January.
PSV coach Fred Rutten took a 22-man squad to Ibrox missing only long-term injured striker Jonathan Reis, who sustained a season-ending knee injury last year.
Bulgaria defender Stanislav Manolev is likely to play in a protective mask after fracturing his cheek bone in Sunday's 2-2 league draw with NEC Nijmegen.
Rangers should be more attacking, a week after a sturdy defensive display eked out a goalless draw to make it slight favorite to go through.
Elsewhere, 2003 winner FC Porto takes a 1-0 lead into the second leg at home to CSKA Moscow, German side Bayer Leverkusen is 3-2 behind ahead of the match at Villarreal and Benfica is 2-1 ahead against Paris Saint-Germain, which is at home in the return match.
Still competing for three trophies this season, PSG looks set for another crisis amid growing rumbles of discontent in the changing room.
Hailed as the main reason of PSG's revival only weeks ago, Brazilian playmaker Nene has been struggling recently and has lost the confidence of his teammates, who made him a scapegoat for the team's problems after PSG failed to win its last three games in all competitions.
Coach Antoine Kombouare has asked his players ''to make efforts so we can be a team again'' while PSG president Robin Leproux addressed the players earlier this week to ease tensions.
''I asked them to stay united for our common goals,'' Leproux said.
Updated Mar 16, 2011 10:27 AM ET
James Milner could be on the Manchester City bench for their Europa League salvage mission against Dynamo Kiev at Eastlands on Thursday.
The England international has been restricted to just five City appearances in the past two months due to a persistent hamstring injury.
Milner has not featured at all since a 13-minute outing as substitute in the Premier League draw with Fulham on February 27.
However, he returned to training earlier this week and although the 25-year-old is still not fully fit, manager Roberto Mancini is willing to take the calculated gamble of having Milner on the bench as City look to overturn a two-goal first-leg deficit.
"James is not 100 per cent but he has worked with us for the past week and probably he can go on the bench tomorrow," said Mancini.
Mancini does need to check on the fitness of Nigel de Jong, who experienced some discomfort in the ankle that sidelined him for the previous month towards the end of Sunday's FA Cup win over Reading.
However, he is not prepared to risk Adam Johnson on Thursday, preferring instead to allow the 23-year-old to gradually build up his fitness after a two-month absence with an ankle injury so he will be available after the international break.
"Adam has been working with the team for four days," said Mancini.
"It would be very difficult for him to play.
"Maybe it is better for him and us that he continues to work because he is the only player who can change a game for us."
Updated Mar 11, 2011 6:20 AM ET
Robert Mancini rued the two "stupid" goals Manchester City conceded at Dynamo Kiev and revealed Mario Balotelli suffered an allergic reaction.
City crashed to a 2-0 defeat in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie as goals from former Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko and Oleh Gusev either side of half-time handed the Ukrainians a useful advantage.
Mancini was critical of City's defending with goalkeeper Joe Hart culpable for the first and Micah Richards for the second.
The Italian boss said: "I think that 2-0 is not a good result but at Eastlands it will be a different game.
"Tonight we played a good game. The difference was the goals we conceded. Usually we don't concede goals like this - we are more professional. We conceded two stupid goals. They played on the counter, so I'm frustrated.
"We didn't mark well for the first goal, the second goal the same. We were four or five metres from the opponent. When you mark in the box you should be near."
City rarely threatened as an attacking force after a bright start in freezing conditions and failed to live up to their billing as tournament favourites.
Mancini, however, is convinced they can keep their European campaign going and make the quarter-finals of the competition.
He said: "I think that we had some problems and I hope that it can improve with the strikers for the return match.
"If the strikers improve and the defenders pay attention maybe we have a chance to go through.
"Dynamo Kiev were fresher than us tonight. A few of us in the championship have played (recently) every three days."
Meanwhile, Mancini revealed that Balotelli was left suffering from an unexplained allergy.
The Italian was over a minute late coming out for the second half and eventually replaced in the 57th minute following a booking after complaining of feeling unwell.
Mancini added: "Mario had an allergy - I don't know what. His face was swollen - I don't know why.
"He wanted to play in the second half but he had this problem 10 seconds before coming out.
"I came out a minute before the players and I didn't see Mario.
"He then said he could play but his face was swollen."
It is understood Balotelli, who arrived from Inter Milan for £24million in the summer, is allergic to certain types of grass.
Updated Mar 11, 2011 4:24 AM ET
Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish felt his side looked far better with Andy Carroll on the pitch during their Europa League defeat in Braga.
Just four days after tearing apart Manchester United at Anfield, a team registering four changes, albeit significant ones, put in a lethargic opening 45 minutes.
Their punishment was Brazilian midfielder Alan's 17th-minute penalty, awarded after Sotirios Krygiakos' foul on Mossoro.
Liverpool improved after the break but there were few highlights, although Carroll made his European debut for the Reds - adding 33 minutes to the 16 he played against United on Sunday.
"It was a very poor first-half performance from ourselves and I have no complaints about the penalty," said Dalglish.
"We picked it up in the second half and we looked a lot more threatening when Andy came on.
"It was easier to be happier with the second half than the first.
"Considering the way we played in the first half we are fortunate to come away with a 1-0 because when you play as badly as that you are grateful you lose 1-0.
"You don't know if it is a good or bad result until the second leg is over but there is no-one in there who is pleased with the performance or the result.
"But until next Thursday I won't be able to assess whether we have been fortunate or contributed to our own downfall by selection of passes, no movement - we were just a bit sloppy, really."
Dalglish was pleased to be able to give Carroll more time on the pitch, with the striker impressing with his aerial ability, winning every header he contested.
"We played better once he came on and he was a good option for us," he added.
"We have to give him as many minutes as we can to make sure he makes a contribution.
"That is a bit longer than he got on Sunday and we will continue to make a contribution towards his fitness."
Carroll appeared to be caught in the face by centre-back Kaka's elbow late in the game but Dalglish claimed he had not seen the incident clearly.
"I saw the two of them collide but I didn't see where he connected with Andy," added the Reds boss.
Braga coach Domingos Paciencia was pleased with the victory but knows they face a tough task at Anfield.
"We knew that it would not be easy and it was good we didn't concede because at this stage of the competition it is not easy," he said.
"I am optimistic but I know Liverpool are a big team, one of the teams who can win the competition so we have to be very careful."
Updated Mar 10, 2011 5:52 PM ET
Second choice goalkeeper Neil Alexander shut out PSV in Holland as Rangers earned a 0-0 draw in the 1st leg of their Europa League last-16 tie.
The Scottish champions sprang a surprise by naming Alexander in goal, with first choice goalkeeper Allan McGregor on the bench, and boss Walter Smith no doubt mindful of the Co-operative Insurance Cup final looming this month.
And the move paid off as Rangers claimed a goalless draw that will give them hope of finishing the job in front of their own fans when the Dutch travel to Ibrox for next week's second leg.
El-Hadji Diouf again took on the lone striker role he performed in the last round against Sporting Lisbon and Rangers were also boosted by the return of Kyle Lafferty after he recovered from tonsillitis.
Young midfielder Kyle Hutton, who yesterday signed a new deal with the Scottish champions, was also handed a starting place for the clash, having already featured in the Champions League this season against Manchester United and Bursaspor.
There was drama for Rangers before a ball was even kicked with the news assistant manager Ally McCoist had been handed a two-match touchline ban following his altercation with Celtic boss Neil Lennon after last week's Old Firm derby.
Once the game was under way, PSV were out of the traps quickly and Marcus Berg went to ground in the box under pressure from Madjid Bougherra but there appeared to be little in the incident and there was no penalty award.
Berg could have grabbed the opener when he tried to run onto a slick pass from Ola Toivonen but Alexander raced off his line to make a brave block before Berg could connect and slot home.
The home side had the best of the chances early on and Jeremain Lens was next to have a crack at goal but his shot was blocked by Kyle Bartley as PSV continued to press for the opener.
Lens was threatening again, this time weaving his way past a couple of Rangers players only to screw his shot over the crossbar.
PSV then passed up a great chance to take the lead when Balazs Dzsudzsak's free-kick was flicked on by Lens for Marcelo who somehow managed to nod wide of target when he looked certain to leave the net bulging.
Rangers looked more lively after the restart and Richard Foster embarked on an impressive run that took him into the box but his attempt to pick out Diouf in front of goal was poor and the danger was cleared.
PSV still looked dangerous and had the Rangers defence under pressure when Toivonen's pass was collected by Berg only for the forward to drag his shot agonisingly wide of the upright from close range.
Stanislav Manolev was fortunate to escape a caution when he appeared to go down easily in the area under pressure from Bartley.
The on-loan Arsenal defender then almost claimed a crucial away goal for Rangers when he threw himself in front of Diouf's corner and connected with a firm header that was touched wide by goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson.
Rangers made their first change of the night after 64 minutes when Diouf was withdrawn for Vladimir Weiss, who had been rated doubtful with a bruised foot.
Marcelo had already squandered a decent chance in the first half and he was left holding his head in his hands again after nodding narrowly past the post when he should have at least found the target.
Lafferty then hooked wide for Rangers, before making way for the introduction of youngster Gregg Wylde for the last 10 minutes.
Smith's men were able to see out the remainder of the game and return to Glasgow with a clean-sheet ahead of the second leg.
Paraguay's Libertad became the first club to guarantee a spot in the Copa Libertadores knockout round of 16 after a 1-0 win at Peru's Universidad San Martin on Tuesday.
Sergio Aquino scored a penalty in the 25th minute to secure the win. Coupled with Once Caldas' 1-1 draw with Mexican club San Luis later in the day, Libertad is assured of finishing in the top two in Group 1.
Also Tuesday, Santiago Garcia scored the lone goal as Uruguayan club Nacional won 1-0 at Argentinos Juniors to claim its first win in the Copa Libertadores group stage.
The top two teams in each group qualify for the knockout round.
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Libertad moved to the brink of a spot in the last 16 after San Martin defender Julio Moreyra handled a cross from Carlos Bonet and was sent off, with Aquino converted the ensuing penalty.
The win moved Libertad to 10 points from four matches, ahead of San Martin by four points.
Later Tuesday, Libertad's place in the knockout round was confirmed when a stoppage-time equalizer from Juan Medina leveled the scores for San Luis at 2004 champion Once Caldas.
Luis Alberto Nunez had opened the scoring for Once Caldas in the 79th minute.
The game was marred by a brawl between the players a few minutes before the equalizer, which led to red cards for Guillermo Rangel and Sergio Ponce of San Luis and Alexis Henriquez of Once Caldas.
The draw did little to help either side's qualification hopes. After four games, Once Caldas has three points, while San Luis has two in last place.
Also Tuesday, Nacional surprised Argentinos Juniors with a 1-0 win in Buenos Aires.
Garcia scored the winner with a low shot across the goal in the 34th minute after Santiago Gentiletti was caught in possession in defense.
The victory moved Nacional to four points from four games in Group 3, with Argentinos still leading the group on seven. Mexico's America has six and Fluminense of Brazil has two, with both clubs having played a game less.
The Copa Libertadores is the top international club competition in Latin America.
Group matches continue through March and April. The final is scheduled for June.
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