TEAM NEWS
 Rooney has missed Man Utd's last two games |
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson claims Wayne Rooney faces an "uphill fight" to face Liverpool.
Rooney has missed the last two games with a calf injury. Darren Fletcher (groin) is a doubt, but Ryan Giggs and Patrice Evra return.
Liverpool's dire injury situation looks to be easing, with Fernando Torres (thigh) hopeful of returning.
Glen Johnson is fit after a groin strain, but Steven Gerrard is still struggling with a similar complaint.
Liverpool
Suspended: None
Doubtful: Gerrard (groin), Kelly (ankle), Riera (hamstring),
Torres (thigh)
Injured/unavailable: Aquilani (fitness), Dossena (groin), Kyrgiakos (knee)
Manchester United
Suspended: None Doubtful: Fletcher (groin), Rooney (calf)
Injured: Park (knee)
Beach balls are banned, but is it nearly time for Liverpool to throw in the towel that is sold as part of the set? Defeat against Manchester United would represent Liverpool's worst run of form for 56 years and leave a ten-point chasm between these sides.
 | We are not thinking about losing to United...we have beaten them before - twice last season - and we must do that again Javier Mascherano, Liverpool |
Liverpool pushed United until the penultimate game of last season's title race, but could end the day virtually out of this one barely two months into the campaign.
Liverpool's official club merchandise Beach Set sold out in the wake of the giant red ball that deflated them at Sunderland last weekend. Manchester United fans are suspected of being behind the sudden demand, but a vigorous search policy at the turnstiles is likely to deprive them of a tribute to Darren Bent's winning goal at the Stadium of Light.
Nonetheless, the visitors arrive in buoyant mood, having maintained their 100% winning record in Europe in midweek to extend their unbeaten run to 11 games in all competitions.
By contrast, Liverpool have lost their last four games to leave their league and European prospects on a knife-edge. United, though, know not to write off their rivals; Liverpool won without Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard in the starting line-up when the clubs met at Anfield last season.
Head-to-head
• Liverpool beat Manchester United home and away in the league last season for the first time in seven years. The 4-1 scoreline at Old Trafford was United's heaviest home defeat since New Year's Day 1992.
• Manchester United have won five and drawn one of their last seven visits to Anfield in the league.
• United have the best Premier League record of any club against Liverpool, with 18 wins and 61 points.
Liverpool
• Liverpool have lost four successive matches in all competitions - their worst run for more than 22 years.
• It is 56 years since they last lost five consecutive matches. In August and September 1953 they were beaten by Bolton, Newcastle, Preston, Wolves and Tottenham in the top flight. They finished bottom of the division that season and were relegated.
• Defeat would mean they have lost half of their opening 10 league games for the first time since 1993.
• Liverpool have scored 15 goals in their four league matches at Anfield this season - only Arsenal have scored more home goals in the division prior to this weekend.
Manchester United
• Manchester United are on an 11-match unbeaten streak in all competitions. They have won 10 and drawn one.
• They are winless in their last four trips to Big Four opposition, losing three times, since a 1-0 victory at Liverpool in December 2007.
• United are the only team not to concede a goal from a set-piece in the Premier League this season.
• Ryan Giggs has scored 99 Premier League goals for United, and Paul Scholes has 98.
• Michael Carrick is set to make his 100th league appearance for the club, while Patrice Evra and Dimitar Berbatov are poised for the 100th Premier League starts of their career.
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Liverpool
Torres: 8 goals (8 league); Kuyt: 4 goals (3 league)
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Manchester United
Rooney: 7 goals (6 league); Berbatov: 3 goals (3 league)
Referee: Andre Marriner
Assistant referees: Adam Watts & Patrick Keane
Fourth official: Peter Walton
Liverpool (L0-1 v Sunderland, a): Reina; Johnson, Agger, Skrtel (Voronin 72), Carragher, Babel (Ngog 81), Lucas, Aurelio, Spearing (Mascherano 72), Benayoun, Kuyt. Subs not used: Cavalieri, Riera, Insua, Kelly.
Manchester United (W2-1 v Bolton, h): Van der Sar; Neville, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra (O'Shea 83), Valencia, Carrick, Anderson (Scholes 86), Giggs, Owen (Welbeck 83), Berbatov. Subs not used: Kuszczak, Brown, Nani, Macheda.
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