West Ham have a number of absentees ahead of the visit of Liverpool. Striker Andy Carroll (knee), who is on loan from Liverpool, is out until January, while Ricardo Vaz Te (shoulder) and Jack Collison (knee) are both expected to be unavailable until the new year.

Alou Diarra (thigh) is not available for selection, but George McCartney (ankle) and Yossi Benayoun (knee) could make their returns.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers will be without star striker Luis Suarez, who serves a one-match ban for amassing five yellow cards already this season. Steven Gerrard (illness) is expected to come back into the side, however, after missing the Reds’ Europa League win over Udinese.

Fabio Borini (ankle) and Martin Kelly (knee ligament) are still on the sidelines, while Nuri Sahin could miss the trip to London after being withdrawn against Udinese due to a facial injury.

• Kevin Nolan (pictured, right) has only scored once against the Merseysiders in his career. The boyhood Liverpool fan netted for Newcastle in a 3-1 win in 2010. Andy Carroll was also on target for the Magpies that day.

• Luis Suarez has only missed eight games since joining Liverpool, of which they have won four.

• The Reds have kept five clean sheets against the Hammers in the Premier League in the last five seasons.

• Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has never faced West Ham in his managerial career.

• West Ham were 3-1 winners over Liverpool the last time the teams met at Upton Park. However, Mark Noble, James Tomkins and Gary O’Neil are the only three players in the squad that featured in that starting line-up.