The Uruguay international guided Liverpool to the Champions League last term with his goals, but it was not enough to make the 23-man shortlist

Barcelona star Luis Suarez has missed out on a nomination for the 2014 Fifa Ballon d’Or despite his incredible season for Liverpool last term.

The Uruguay international fired the Anfield side to third place in the Premier League with 31 goals in 2013/14 – thus securing Champions League football – while winning the European Golden Shoe and Premier League top scorer awards in the process.

However, Fifa has opted to leave Suarez off their 23-man shortlist after he missed four months of action due to suspension for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup in Brazil.

Other notable absentees include Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery, who came in third in last year’s vote, his team-mate Robert Lewandowski, Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal and fellow Serie A star Miralem Pjanic, as well as Real Madrid’s Luka Modric.

Barcelona’s lack of silverware this year means regulars such as Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets and Xavi have not made the list either.

Furthermore, several accomplished Premier League players have been overlooked, with Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Sergio Aguero, Aaron Ramsey and Nemanja Matic all missing out.

Without the forward, last season’s Premier League runners-up have won just four of their opening nine games and trail league-leaders Chelsea by nine points

Brendan Rodgers believes Daniel Sturridge needs European performances to become a top-class striker at Liverpool once he returns from injury.

The England striker has not featured for his club since the end of August, having picked up a thigh problem while on international duty in September before suffering a setback midway through October.

Liverpool have struggled in his absence, with Mario Balotelli still searching for his first Premier League goal following his €20 million move, but Rodgers is confident Sturridge can provide a lift upon his return.

“Top players have such an influence on the team,” Rodgers told reporters. “When you are under the cosh, you know that you have strikers who can score out of nothing. It is a big weapon.

“Sturridge is one of them. That is where we aim to get with Daniel. But he won’t become a top European striker until he plays consistently. It doesn’t matter about potential. You have to play.

“When he comes back into the team, you will see the confidence because of the movement and the dynamic, but he isn’t fit and he hasn’t been for a long time.”

The Swans beat the Reds on their way to winning the League Cup in 2012-13 and the captain that season – and now manager – is keen to channel their good form into another victory

Swansea City boss Garry Monk is relishing the chance to take on Liverpool at Anfield in the fourth round of the League Cup.

Monk, who was club captain when the Swans won the competition in 2013, will take his team to Merseyside on Tuesday with a spring in their step following a 2-0 win over Leicester City on Saturday.

That victory lifted the Welsh club into sixth place in the Premier League and was a welcome tonic after a run of five top-flight games without a win.

Swansea triumphed 3-1 at Anfield en route to winning the League Cup two seasons ago and Monk cannot wait to visit the famous ground again.

“It’s one that we’re really excited about – we go up there with nothing to lose,” he told the press. “Anfield’s always a special place to play and we did well in the cup game that we played there before.

“Hopefully we can take that sort of performance [against Leicester] up there but it’s one that we’ll go up and enjoy. Liverpool will obviously be favourites but hopefully we can put a performance on that will make everyone proud.

“We have to take [the League Cup] seriously. It’s a cup that we’ve done very well in in the past, having won it in recent history, and it’s one that we’d like to do well in again.”

Swansea knocked out Liverpool’s local rivals, Everton, in the last round and go into the game with striker Wilfried Bony bang in form after four goals in his last three games. Jonjo Shelvey could come up against his former club, who are managed by ex-Swans boss Brendan Rodgers.

Liverpool are behind Swansea only on goal difference in the Premier League but head into the tie after a difficult week that saw them lose 3-0 to Real Madrid in the Champions League before being held to a 0-0 stalemate by Hull City.

Much has been made of the Reds’ defensive vulnerability this season, with the clean sheet against Hull representing only their second in 13 games in all competitions.

Rodgers’ side progressed to round four of the League Cup courtesy of a mammoth penalty shootout win over Middlesbrough, which ended 14-13 in their favour, and history is on their side in this fixture. In 19 meetings with Swansea at Anfield, Liverpool have lost just twice.