Baros keeping his fingers crossed

Liverpool striker Milan Baros is hopeful of featuring in Wednesday's Champions League semi-final against Chelsea despite revealing the seriousness of his knee injury.

The 23-year-old Czech international needed four stitches in a knee wound after being caught by a tackle from Crystal Palace captain Tony Popovic in Saturday's Barclays Premiership defeat at Selhurst Park. Baros initially continued but came in for further rough treatment from Palace and was substituted after just 37 minutes.

Liverpool believe Baros should recover sufficiently to travel to Stamford Bridge for the semi-final first leg on Wednesday but the player admitted he was concerned after suffering the injury.

Baros told Czech newspaper Idnes: "We shall see on Tuesday. I do not mind the stitches, but if it is as painful as on Saturday, I will not be able to play.

"I have had it stitched and it is swollen. The knee cap and ligaments are all right but my bone was kicked and it hurts a lot.

"I even saw the bone, it was very unpleasant sight. I was kicked as well, they were not sparing me.

"But we are in England, the soccer is tough. Plus Palace are fighting against relegation, so they have to fight hard."

Baros admitted Liverpool's chances of claiming fourth place in the Premiership were now starting to look slim but claimed they would not give up the chase.

The fifth-placed Reds are now four points behind Everton and have only three games remaining compared to their rivals' four.

Baros sees Everton's rearranged fixture at Arsenal on May 11 as a crucial one.

He added: "If they win there it will be our end, but we are still alive. A theoretical chance still exists."