Peter Crouch will finally make his Premiership debut for Liverpool at Tottenham Hotspur this afternoon, though his selection could further ostracise the already unsettled Djibril Cisse.

Crouch, a £7 million signing from Southampton this summer, returns from suspension and a hamstring injury at White Hart Lane with Rafael Benitez convinced his presence will help Liverpool ensure there is no repeat of last year's shoddy away record. Yet if, as expected, he is employed in a lone striker role, Cisse will find himself consigned to the bench.

"I have spoken with different managers and they have all said that Crouch is a good player," said Benitez. "He's good in the air, plays really well on the ground, and he can keep the ball for us. At times last year when we played long balls we couldn't keep hold of it, and he will give us different options now."

Those options are likely to consign Cisse to the substitutes. The France international scored twice having come off the bench in the Super Cup final last month and twice again for his country against the Faroe Islands last weekend.

The forward attracted interest from Marseille and Monaco before the closure of the transfer window, and was the subject of an £8 million bid from Tottenham. Benitez insisted yesterday the European champions retain their faith in their record £14 million signing, despite his belated interest in bringing Michael Owen back to Anfield.

"Djibril's a good player and there were a lot of clubs interested in him," said the Liverpool manager, who has lost Fernando Morientes for up to a fortnight with a hamstring injury. "If we said no (to offers) it was because we have confidence in him."