21.07.2004 - Cisse set for debut but Euro stars rested

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Djibril Cisse will make his Liverpool debut tonight, but Michael Owen will miss the friendly against Wrexham, with Rafael Benitez opting to leave all of Liverpool's Euro 2004 stars out of the squad to face the Welsh side.

Owen was hoping to play against the club who are based close to his home in Hawarden, and who also had him on their books when he was a schoolboy.

But having had less than a month's rest since featuring for England in their Euro 2004 quarter final with Portugal, Benitez has chosen to leave out Owen, along with Gerrard, Baros, Smicer, Hamann and Carragher, with all five having only returned to training on Monday.

Karl Medjani also makes his first senior start in the game, though there's no place even on the bench for El Hadji Diouf, which is sure to increase speculation on his Liverpool future.

Liverpool: Kirkland, Finnan, Traore, Hyypia, Medjani, Biscan, Welsh, Murphy, Cisse, Kewell, Le Tallec.
Subs: Diao, Dudek, Whitbread, Warnock, Riise, Raven, Potter, Sinama Pongolle, Otsemobor, Foy.