Both Liverpool and Stoke have named unchanged line-ups from their previous Premier League fixtures ahead of their encounter today at Anfield.

Liverpool have picked the same side that ran out 5-2 winners against Norwich City last week, with Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez and Nuri Sahin all recalled after sitting out during the midweek Europa League fixture.Brendan Rodgers has made eight changes in total from the side that narrowly lost out 3-2 to Udinese at Anfield on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, former Liverpool cult hero Michael Owen has been left out of Stoke’s squad altogether with it being reported the striker is suffering with a minor injury.Tony Pulis also names an unchanged side from the Potters 2-0 victory over Swansea last week, with Peter Crouch looking to build on the brace he netted against the Swans on his return to Anfield.

: Reina, Wisdom, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson, Allen, Gerrard, Sahin, Suso, Suarez, Sterling
Subs: To follow…

Stoke starting XI: Begovic; Cameron, Shawcross, Huth, Wilson; Walters, Whelan, N’Zonzi, Adam, Kightly; Crouch
Subs: Sorensen, Jones, Edu, Whitehead, Upson, Etherington, Jerome

Liverpool forward Fabio Borini claims that he was forced out of former club Chelsea against then-manager Carlo Ancelotti’s will.

The 21-year-old worked with Brendan Rodgers, now his boss at Anfield, at Stamford Bridge before also playing for him while on loan at Swansea City but might not have been reunited with him had his departure from the Blues not been hastened.

The Italian explained to the Daily Mail: “Ancelotti told me that, above him, they didn’t want me in the first team.

“They said I had to play in the reserves because I hadn’t signed a new contract. It was a hard period for me and it wasn’t even the manager’s choice.”

The striker, who joined Liverpool from Roma in the summer, also expressed his hopes of playing in his desired role of centre forward instead of being utilised on the flanks as he has mainly done so far.

“I’ve always played in the middle. I find things come more naturally to me there,” Borini continued.

“If the ball drops in the box, I can sense how it will bounce, what a defender will do. I can read it early, it is a kind of instinct. When you play wide, you end up far away from the goal.”

Borini also highlighted the main difference between the English game and his experience in Serie A.

“Physically, it is harder in England,” he observed. “In Italy, we’d stand for an hour in training doing tactical work. You can’t do that here — the weather is too cold!”

Liverpool winger Stewart Downing insists that he is “going nowhere” despite having his commitment questioned by Brendan Rodgers.

The €25 million signing has has struggled to find his feet at Anfield since joining in July 2011 and the Reds boss remarked in late September that “talent alone is not enough. You have to work hard, you have to fight for the shirt,” in reference to the midfielder.
But Downing told reporters: “I’ve got three years left on my contract and I’m going nowhere.

“I have worked hard to get here and I am not going to leave in a rush. I will fight for my place and I want to stay at Anfield.

“Bravery is a lot of things – it’s not just about tackling. That’s not my game.

“My bravery is about taking the ball when you are losing a game and trying to create things. That’s what I try to do. You will have to ask the manager exactly what he meant.

“I was surprised that he came out with what he did. I have spoken to him on numerous occasions when I wasn’t in the team and that was private.

“So, of course, I’m upset. But I’m not going to go running around tackling people because that’s not my game.”