Liverpool V Tottenham at Anfield : Match Preview

10 March 2013 01:15
Liverpool V Tottenham - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.


Duo return for Reds

Striker Daniel Sturridge and defender Martin Skrtel will both return from injury for Sunday's match against Tottenham at Anfield.

Sturridge has overcome a thigh problem which kept him out of last weekend's 4-0 win at Wigan and he is likely to regain his spot in the side.

Skrtel also returned to training this week after a knee injury but he will have to settle for a place on the bench.

Manager Brendan Rodgers has praised striker Luis Suarez for the transformation he is undergoing as a person and a player this season.

The Uruguay international is the league's leading scorer with 21 goals this season but is still a hate figure to many opposition fans because of his chequered history since arriving in this country.

Last year's eight-match ban for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra will not be forgotten in a hurry while a reputation, although diminished, for diving still dogs him.

There has been much speculation that those factors will contribute to Suarez not winning player of the year honours but Rodgers insists that would be unfair.

"His consistency this year has been phenomenal," said the Reds boss.

"He is a remarkable man. What I have admired from close hand is this is a guy who is trying to change.

"He has come in here and been labelled many things - sometimes maybe, for me, as because he is a foreign player he will get accused more.

"If a British player dives we'll laugh and find it funny but when it's Luis Suarez he is a diver.

"But this is a guy who is trying to turn around his life and adapt to the culture and you can clearly see that."

Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas believes Liverpool have been carried by the superb form of Suarez this season.

Villas-Boas knows the chances of extending Spurs' run of 12 unbeaten Barclays Premier League matches will largely depend on whether they can shackle Liverpool's prolific hitman.

Although Villas-Boas has his own prolific talisman in Gareth Bale, the Portuguese knows how important Suarez will be to the outcome of the clash on Merseyside.

"He is a tremendous player. He is making the difference," said Villas-Boas.

"(He is) a top player and is taking almost the team on his shoulders with his goalscoring ability.

"He is someone we must be wary of. He had a tremendous game at White Hart Lane and we have to be careful with his strengths."

Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon is a doubt after suffering a hamstring injury in Thursday night's win over Inter Milan.

Midfielder Mousa Dembele is expected to be fit despite coming off in the second half while Emmanuel Adebayor will return to the squad after overcoming a knee injury.

Tom Huddlestone (knee) and Clint Dempsey (calf) are doubts, but Younes Kaboul and Sandro (both knee) are definitely unavailable.










Source: PA