BLACKBURN defender Markus Babbel today warned his new team-mates to be on red alert when Harry Kewell wings his way into Ewood this weekend.
Babbel looks set to make his home debut for Rovers in Saturday's crunch clash with Liverpool.
And the former German international, who is currently on loan from the Anfield giants, believes Kewell is the man Rovers need to stop if they plan to chalk up their second home win of the season.
The Australian frontman is still finding his feet at Anfield following a £5 million move from Leeds United in the summer.
But Babbel saw enough in training with the Reds to convince him that Kewell could bring an extra dimension to Gerard Houllier's forward line this season.
"He's settled down in the team, he's very popular in the team, and he's a brilliant player," said Babbel, who has joined Rovers until the end of the season.
"Maybe it's a little bit difficult for him at the moment because the whole team are still settling down and it's more difficult for the new players to give their best performances straight away.
"But I've seen him in training and he's an absolutely fantastic player who could make the difference for them."
Babbel made a big impression himself when he recently made his debut in the 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge a fortnight ago.
And he's relishing the chance to face the Reds at the weekend only three weeks after swapping Anfield for Ewood.
Meanwhile, Aussie midfielder Brett Emerton is also on course to face Liverpool after returning to training earlier this week.
Emerton missed the Chelsea game with a calf injury which he sustained in the 3-2 defeat against Manchester City.
But he's confident he will be ready in time to face his international colleague Harry Kewell for the first time in the Premiership.
"I got a kick on my calf and it's been very badly bruised. There's no good time to get injured, but with the international break, I've been able to have two week's steady treatment," said Emerton.
Manager Graeme Souness could also be handed a further boost in the shape of a fit-again Dwight Yorke.
Yorke returned to training earlier this week following a hamstring injury and could be in contention for a recall against the Reds.
Meanwhile, Souness will assess the fitness of his international players in the next 24 hours when they return to Brockhall after a week of internationals.
Rovers skipper Garry Flitcroft will be at Mister Fu's Cantonese restaurant in Blackburn tonight to open a special charity fund-raiser for Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
A limited number of tickets are still available, priced £15, which includes a chinese buffet meal.
Contact event organiser John Magee (07788 111896) or Mister Fu's direct on 07984 177238 for further details.
Flitcroft has donated a signed Rovers shirt for a charity auction and will also be available to sign autographs for fans.
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