Owen set for Champions League return

Liverpool fans will hope to see a rejuvenated Michael Owen when the English Premiership giants begin their Champions League campaign away to Spanish side Valencia in Group B.

England striker Owen was left on the substitutes bench by manager Gerard Houllier during the thrilling 3-2 league win away to Bolton on Saturday with the Frenchman claiming his 22-year-old talisman was suffering from World Cup-induced fatigue.

"I told Michael I was going to rest him because he can't play in all the games," said Houllier.

"He has started seven games in a row after coming back from (hamstring) injury in the World Cup and he now has another eight games coming up, including the Champions League and a double header with the international side.

"It is impossible for him to start all the games."

As Owen looked on, he and the rest of the Liverpool faithful were treated to a glimpse of the future with 20-year-old Czech forward Milan Baros scoring twice on his full Premiership debut.

His goals sent Liverpool on their way while a late winner from England forward Emile Heskey ensured Houllier's men did not turn a 2-0 lead into a 2-2 draw for the third successive match.

"Milan has good skill and an eye for goal," said Houllier. "I signed him last year and it took him six months to bed in and learn the language.

"I think some of the backroom staff didn't dare tell me but for the first three or four months they thought I had made a mistake. I never did."

It seemed as if Baros' goals would be cancelled out by efforts from Ricardo Gardner and Ivan Campo before Heskey scored two minutes from time.

And no-one was more pleased to see the former Leicester forward on target than Houllier.

"Emile scores important goals," said Houllier, who had seen Liverpool lose two-goal leads in their last two matches against Newcastle and Birmingham.

"That will stop the critics. He always makes a contribution to a game.

"It was a great performance. We have beaten a good team. Today at 2-2 we kept our heads very high. People might have expected us to protect what we had got but we went to search for the third goal. I don't want to take anything away from Bolton but we deserved it today.

"I am getting bored with the people who say that we are boring. We play good stuff and we score good goals."