Liverpool vs Manchester United. Premier League.
AnfieldAttendance52,912.
Saturday 14 October 2017 07:50, UK
Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino are expected to be fit for Liverpool's huge clash with old rivals Manchester United live on Sky Sports this weekend.
Both players were on international duty with Brazil over the last two weeks, with the long flight times and time zone changes raising questions over their potential fitness.
However, Jurgen Klopp has said that both players should be able to feature in the game - live on Sky Sports Premier League from 11.30am - with Coutinho being touted as a replacement for the injured Sadio Mane.
"Phil played two games, Roberto played around about five minutes or something like this so it's different of course, but they both had a long flight - even when it was pretty comfortable I'm sure so, they should be OK, and they are important, yes," the Liverpool manager said.
For United, they currently sit second in the Premier League table on goal difference behind Man City, and could put the pressure on their local rivals with a victory in the early 12.30pm kick-off.
Although they are playing away from home, Jose Mourinho is relishing the trip to Anfield, saying: "I think when people speak about big atmospheres, it looks like we don't like it, it looks like it's a problem for us to go to a certain place and to face a big atmosphere.
"This is what we want. I am surprised that you speak about [going to Anfield] in a negative way, I am even more surprised when I hear former, big players speak about atmospheres like something sinister, something that worries [us].
"It motivates us, it is something that we want, it is something that if we could have every match, we would have every match."
Mane will has been ruled out for six weeks with a hamstring problem sustained on international duty and will not feature with Coutinho likely to be pushed forward to replace him and Emre Can coming back into midfield.
Adam Lallana continued his recovery from a thigh strain in Qatar this week as he edges closer to a comeback.
Marouane Fellaini will miss out after suffering a knee injury with Belgium and joins fellow midfielders Michael Carrick and Paul Pogba on the sidelines.
Marcos Rojo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic continue to recover from serious knee ligament injuries, but Mourinho indicated that Phil Jones and Romelu Lukaku are available.
Liverpool are winless in six Premier League games against Manchester United (D2 L4), their worst run since an eight-match winless run against the Red Devils between 2004 and 2008.
Liverpool have won just one of their last eight matches against Manchester United in all competitions (W1 D3 L4) - winning 2-0 in the Europa League in 2015-16.
Manchester United have kept 17 clean sheets in the Premier League in 2017, three more than any other side. Jose Mourinho's side have recorded a shutout in eight of their last nine league games, shipping just two goals in the process (vs Stoke).
Jurgen Klopp has lost just one of his seven competitive meetings with Jose Mourinho as a manager (W3 D3 L1).
Jose Mourinho won eight of his first 10 Premier League meetings with Liverpool (D1 L1) between October 2004 and November 2014 but since then he has failed to win any of his four games against them (D3 L1).
Romelu Lukaku became the second player to score seven goals in his first seven Premier League appearances for Man Utd after Andrew Cole. No player has scored eight goals in their first eight Premier League appearances for the club.
This is a massive game, but I just don't see how Liverpool win without Sadio Mane. I half-fancied them with Mane, but I can't see it now.
It will be interesting to see how United approach it. You would like to think, with the squad and firepower they have got, that they will have a go. But we have said that before and they have parked the bus, so we will have to see what happens. It's a big game for Romelu Lukaku. Now he is with one of the big boys he has to perform against the big boys.
Manchester United are a better team but Liverpool's home advantage should help them get a draw.
PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1 (9/2 with Sky Bet)
Sky Bet find it almost impossible to pick a favourite, with Liverpool marginally shorter odds at 13/8 to Manchester United's price of 17/10, while the draw is priced at 12/5. Romelu Lukaku heads the first goalscorer betting at 7/2 and is enhanced from 11/2 to 13/2 to score a header in Sky Bet's Price Boosts, while Daniel Sturridge is considered the hosts' main threat at 5/1 to break the deadlock.
