"I've decided who's going to play, but I haven't told the players yet," Ancelotti said ahead of the two sides' first meeting since the 2005 final, which Liverpool won on penalties.

"Everyone deserves to play, not only the eleven who start the match.

"I can say that the squad is in good shape. We have worked well, and we are ready for Wednesday."

Kaka has been Milan's driving force in Europe this season with 10 goals in the competition so far, and Liverpool will try to shackle the creative Brazilian whose three strikes in the semi-finals helped put Manchester United out.

Therefore the choice of Milan's second striker is an important one, with Italian media reports suggesting Inzaghi has been given the nod.

Inzaghi is 33, nine years older than Gilardino, but his predatory goal instincts have proved invaluable to Milan in the past, especially in European competition.

But while Inzaghi is an out-and-out goalscorer who just concerns himself with being in the right place at the right time, Gilardino is quick and links up well with Milan's midfield.

Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi, the former Italian prime minister who is never afraid to voice his views about team selection, believes Gilardino, scorer of 16 goals this season, should start.

"I would play Gilardino from the start and put on Inzaghi when the opposition are tiring," said Berlusconi.

Milan captain Paolo Maldini said last week that he expected to be fit to face Liverpool, but doubts linger as to whether his troublesome left knee will stand up to such a challenge.

Assuming he has proved his fitness, Maldini, who has appeared in seven European Cup finals, will partner Alessandro Nesta at the heart of Milan's defence, flanked by Marek Jankulovski -- rated by former Czech Republic teammate Pavel Nedved as the best Czech player playing at the moment -- on the left and Massimo Oddo on the right.

The midfield quartet will comprise Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf and Massimo Ambrosini.

Seedorf will be given licence to get forward as often as he can, while Ambrosini may be asked to mark Liverpool's inspirational captain, Steven Gerrard.

Ancelotti admitted there were nerves in the Milan camp.

"There is some tension, but that's not a bad thing," he said.

"There are two days before the big match and the tension is slowly rising.

"But that's perfectly normal and we have prepared well. We will give it our best.

AC Milan are desperate to atone for their nightmare in Istanbul two years ago.

Having looked certain to beat Liverpool after taking a 3-0 lead at half time, Milan inexplicably imploded in a bizarre six-minute spell in the second half in which they allowed Liverpool to score three times and level the tie.

Extra-time failed to separate the two sides, but Liverpool held their nerve in the penalty shoot-out to lift the trophy.