Liverpool – Fulham Preview: Hosts to take advantage of Cottagers’ poor away form


Jose Enrique (hamstring) is available after missing last weekend’s defeat to Aston Villa, but Oussama Assaidi (knee) is a doubt after picking up a knock in training.

Martin Kelly (knee) and Fabio Borini (foot) remain long-term absentees for the Reds.

Sascha Riether is in contention to play after the right-back returned to training on Thursday following a consultation with a specialist osteopath in Germany.

However, Steve Sidwell misses out for Fulham as he serves a one-match suspension following his yellow card picked up against QPR last week.

The trip to Anfield comes too soon for Bryan Ruiz (hamstring) and Mahamadou Diarra (knee), with the pair due to return to training next week, but Simon Davies (neck) will not return until the New Year.

  • Luis Suarez’s (pictured, right) next league goal for the Reds will see him equal his tally from the whole of last season.
  • Pepe Reina has kept clean sheets in five of his six home meetings against the Cottagers, conceding just one goal, and is yet to be on the losing side against Fulham at Anfield.
  • Fulham‘s 1-0 win away at Liverpool last season was the Cottagers first-ever win at Anfield. As a result they secured their first-ever double over the Reds in the process.
  • The last time a Fulham player scored at Anfield was back in 2006, when a strike from Collins John could do nothing to prevent his side from falling to a heavy 5-1 loss.
  • Martin Jol’s side have only won one of their last ten matches.
  • Own goals have decided each of the last two meetings between these sides at Anfield. Martin Skrtel was the difference between the sides last season, while a comical own goal from John Pantsil secured the Reds all three points in 2011.
  • The last player to score for the correct side in this fixture was Fernando Torres for Liverpool, all the way back in 2007.

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