Rafa hoping for World Cup spur for Harry

Australian forward Harry Kewell stretches during a training session in Sydney. Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez expects Kewell to start playing well to ensure his place in Australia's World Cup team.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez expects Harry Kewell to start playing well to ensure his place in Australia's World Cup team.

Kewell has frustrated Liverpool over the last year by being frequently unavailable through injury.

He is now back to fitness if not his former sharpness and, even if his girlfriend claims he would rather play in Spain, Benitez believes next year's World Cup finals in Germany will spur a resurgence in his form.

"There was a problem with Harry here but you expect that over the years as a manager," Benitez said Wednesday.

"We are now hoping that he can play more games for us than he has been doing.

"If he can play every week for the next three months we will see a different player. He is still very talented but he is much fitter now than he was."

Kewell was in contention to play alongside Peter Crouch in the Premiership fixture at Sunderland on Wednesday night after coming on as a substitute for Djibril Cisse during Saturday's victory at Manchester City - Liverpool's fourth straight Premiership win after a sequence of three defeats in three different competitions.

Cisse made it clear to Benitez he was not impressed by the manager's tactical switch but the manager issued a warning to the French striker - and the rest of his squad - that he will continue to make unpopular decisions if they benefit his team.

"I have explained to Djibril why I made the change and he understands," Benitez said. "He is training okay and I do not have problems with him. But I must decide who is the best player for each game because I am the manager."