Thursday 22 November 2012

Liverpool v Young Boys - Preview

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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is planning changes for Thursday's Europa League visit of Young Boys, but he still hopes to name a strong side.

Captain Steven Gerrard and top scorer Luis Suarez are likely to feature, with the Reds in a strong position to qualify for the knockout stage.

But midfielder Lucas Leiva is not fully fit after a thigh injury, which has sidelined the Brazilian since August.

Lucas will play for the under-21s on Friday as part of his comeback.

Liverpool sit second in Group A, level on points with third-place Young Boys, two above Udinese and one behind Anzhi Makhachkala.

Victory at Anfield would see them qualify if Anzhi avoid defeat at home to Udinese, but if Udinese win it will go to the final round of matches.

"It is an opportunity for us," said Rodgers. "If the other result goes with us we can navigate our way through the group.

"We will improve in the second half of the season, this group will get stronger, and it will be easier going forward once we have supplemented the group [in January].

"I wanted to build a competitive group and that means competing at the top end. That is where every team wants to be and for us it is no different."

Rodgers, who has experienced a difficult start as Reds boss since succeeding Kenny Dalglish, added: "I believe we are starting to show improvement and there is a real spirit and unity among us all.

"If we can stay like that and go through the pain together we can get out the other side and restore Liverpool to where it should be.

"But it is difficult in the modern game. There will be pain along the way, at times we will take two or three steps forward and take another step back, but that is a part of the journey."

Provisional squad: Reina, Wisdom, Carragher, Skrtel, Enrique, Allen, Gerrard, Shelvey, Sahin, Henderson, Sterling, Suso, Suarez, Jones, Coates, Downing, Cole, Assaidi, Pacheco, Yesil.



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