Poland coach Pawel Janas has said that Jerzy Dudek's lack of first-team action this term cost him his place in his country's World Cup squad.

The Liverpool goalkeeper has seen his first-team chances limited by the form of Pepe Reina at Anfield and as a result he was omitted from Janas' 23-man squad for Germany.

"Dudek has not played at Liverpool for a year," he told Przeglad Sportowy.

"He played in the friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Lithuania because the others could not leave their clubs.

"Benitez let him go because Dudek was only a reserve and there was no problem with coming to these matches."