No way back for jinxed Kirkland
Mar 30 2006
By Chris Bascombe, Liverpool Echo
LIVERPOOL have closed the door on Chris Kirkland returning to Anfield early following his latest injury setback.
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Kirkland's season is over due to a broken finger sustained in training, ruling him out of a reunion with his former team-mates at The Hawthorns this weekend.
The 25-year-old has also been forced to concede defeat in his battle to make the England World Cup squad.
But rather than invite Kirkland to return to Mel-wood for treatment, Liverpool have made it clear they're not expecting to see the keeper on Merseyside until his one-year loan spell ends.
Liverpool are under no obligation to take the player back and increase their wage bill, just because his season is over.
However, Rafa Benitez's unsentimental approach is another clear indication he sees no prospect of Kirkland forcing his way back into his long-term plans at Anfield.
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The Reds hope Kirkland's loan move to West Brom will become permanent during the summer, allowing the club to recoup part of the £6m fee they paid in 2001.
Once tipped a certainty to become England's number one, Kirkland's progress has been wrecked by a succession of injuries.
If he returns to Liverpool for pre-season training in the summer, he'll find himself well down the pecking order, with Pepe Reina, Scott Carson and David Martin all recently signed by Benitez and Jerzy Dudek, currently, still at the club.
Meanwhile, striker Peter Crouch says his bad memories of a relegation battle with Southampton a year ago will ensure he's not complacent against Bryan Robson's strugglers.
Crouch knows how the prospect of going down can spur a team on.
He said: "It will be difficult on Saturday against West Brom and I know from personal experience last season with Southampton that when a team is down at the bottom they fight for every ball and every point they can get."
