Everton boss David Moyes will be forced into making at least one change from his side’s 1-1 draw with QPR after Steven Pienaar’s red card sees him banned for this game.

The Scot could deploy Belgian attacker Kevin Mirallas on the left-hand side in South African’s absence, meaning Steven Naismith will come in on the right, however, the Toffees manager is unlikely to make further changes given his side’s impressive form of late.

Visiting boss Brendan Rodgers, meanwhile, has no fresh injury concerns bar the long-term absences of Lucas Leiva (thigh), Fabio Borini (foot) and Martin Kelly (knee) and should name an otherwise full-strength team.

Andre Wisdom is likely to keep his place at right-back in order to help combat the heading prowess of Everton’s frontline, meaning Glen Johnson will stay out on the left, whilst Pepe Reina is expected to return from a hamstring injury.

• The Scot has lost 13 of those games, but is some way short of former Reds manager Tom Watson’s absymal derby record. He lost 21 games against Everton.

• Sunday’s game is the 219th edition of this derby, making it the most played fixture in the history of English football.

• The fixture has also seen more red cards than any other in the Premier League (20).

• Should Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina keep a clean sheet at Goodison Park, he will go joint-third in shut-outs kept in this fixture alongside Bruce Grobbelaar on 10. Only Neville Southall and Ray Clemence can boast more (15 each).

• Steven Gerrard (pictured right) has the most goals in the Merseyside derby of any current player in both squads, having scored eight.

• The last five meetings between these teams have produced 20 yellow cards and one red card.

Brendan Rodgers has hailed Stewart Downing’s Liverpool’s clash fans against Anzhi Makhachkala in the Europa League.

The winger, operating in a deeper role in the second half, cut inside onto his weaker right foot before rifling past Vladimir Gabulov on the edge of the box.

His manager pushed him into the centre of the pitch to accept the praise and believes it will have been a huge confidence booster for him.

Rodgers told the club’s official website: “It was a wonderful strike by Stewart and he scored a great goal. It’s been difficult for him since he’s been here.

“I think [telling him to approach the Kop] was just something to help his confidence. I think the Kop recognised it was a wonderful bend on the strike and if he can get a round of applause from them, then that would mean a lot to anyone; to a player, manager or a coach.

“And you saw how they reacted accordingly – they gave him a great round of applause and that will hopefully do him well going forward. His commitment tonight was excellent. He had to play in a different position in the second half but he’s got the qualities to do that. It was a good night for us.”

Rodgers was particularly impressed with his side’s third consecutive clean sheet and with the way the Reds pushed forward throughout.

He continued: “Anzhi have got a terrific group of players and so to get a win and keep another clean sheet was excellent. But I thought we deserved it, I thought our intent in the game was to go forward and in the second half we stepped it up and did very well.

“There’s been a massive investment there as a team and a club, both in terms of the playing staff and the management.

“I’ve been an admirer of Samuel Eto’o for years – he’s a top, top striker and there’s a number of other players in the side [who are dangerous]. So we knew it was going to be a tough game.

“[In terms of the away leg], I will do what I have done in every game since I’ve been here and when we travel abroad we will give great respect to the opposition and field a team that can win the game.

“But it was very much about the squad tonight. I always look to pick a team to win the game. It was our third clean sheet and we looked like we could score tonight. But the most important thing was the victory, which was very good.”

Up next for Liverpool is the Merseyside derby and Rodgers insists his squad will be in peak condition despite a number of players out with various injuries.

He added: “For us it’s just about taking it one game at a time. The squad is not overly big but the condition of the players is very good so I have no concerns about that.

“Their work rate in training and in the games has been very good. So we’ll recover well. It was a very good performance and result tonight and now we are all really looking forward to Sunday.”

PSV Eindhoven shrugged off a sluggish start to gain a draw against a spirited AIK Solna side at the Philips Stadion.

It took until the 61st minute for the opening goal to finally be scored, and it was the visitors who ploughed ahead into a surprising lead. Nils-Eric Johannson’s fine pass found Kwami Karikari, with the latter supplying the finish past Polish goalkeeper Prezymyslaw Tyton.

Despite Swedish dominance, the hosts did equalise against the run of play as Dries Merten threading a ball towards Jermain Lens, who struck his second Europa League goal in as many games to restore parity for the Eredivisie side, who sit second.

Meanwhile, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk continued their scintillating rise in Group F, seeing off Napoli 3-1 to maintain their 100 per cent record at Dnipro Arena.

The Ukrainian side took the lead, inside all of 120 seconds as Ruslan Rotan’s free-kick into the box was failed to be cleared away, with Artem Fedetskiy seizing an advantage to fire the ball high into Antonio Rosati’s net.

Despite Partenopei pressure, Dnipro would double their advantage just before half-time, as Fedetskiy played a further part in the build-up of the second goal.

The 27-year-old midfielder’s delivery into the box was helped on by Yevhen Seleznyov, with Brazilian Matheus nudging the ball past an outstretched Rosati for 2-0.

Giuliano put the hosts 3-0 up, before Ondrej Mazuch was adjudged to have fouled Edinson Cavani in the box, with the Uruguayan star reducing the deficit from the spot.

Walter Mazzari’s men have now lost 3-0 and 3-1 respectively in their last two European matches, and now sit six points behind their opponents.