DEFENSIVE king-pin Craig Short will take a journey into the unknown tonight as he attempts to put the shackles on Liverpool dangerman El Hadji Diouf.

Short likes to swot up on opponents before he meets them face-to-face in Premiership combat.

But, as he sets his sights on a third successive clean sheet, the veteran defender confesses he knows precious little about Liverpool's new £10 million signing, which makes the man known as 'the serial killer' an even more deadly foe.

"When you don't know players that's the worst thing," said Short.

"There's so much coverage of players these days that you get to see them all the time.

"So you know what they are good at and in a way I know what to expect off Michael Owen.

"But I haven't a clue about this fellow.

"I watched a bit of the World Cup although I must confess I didn't see many Senegal games.

"I know people said he put France out and he got a bit of a write up from the weekend.

"But he's still very much an unknown quantity in Premiership terms which makes him dangerous.

"It's like when you play against strikers from the lower leagues.

"They can sometimes cause you more problems because you don't know much about them whereas, with most of players in the Premier League, you know what to expect because you're used to playing against them twice a season.

"So you've just got to try and store that information and use it to your advantage."

Short and his defensive partner, Martin Taylor, have formed a formiddable alliance during Rovers' opening two games of the season.

However, the whole team's defensive qualities will be put to the test tonight by a Liverpool side overloaded with attacking talent.

And Short believes it's imperative his team-mates are alive to the inevitable threat the Reds will cause on the break.

"We've worked a lot on the defensive side of things when we are in the attacking half of the pitch," said Short.

"Sometimes we conceded goals last season immediately after we'd put in a cross or a corner at the other end.

"That happened when Malcolm Christie scored against us for Derby and again when Thierry Henry broke away from our corner.

"So we've got to try and cut that out but it's difficult when you haven't got many natural defenders in the team."