Premier League: Liverpool v Crystal Palace match preview

A look ahead to Saturday’s Premier League fixture at Anfield

Luis Suarez makes his Anfield return on Saturday (AFP)

After Brendan Rogers watched Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez resume their strike partnership to see off bottom club Sunderland a week ago, he will be hoping they have a similar effect against second from bottom Crystal Palace.

Lucas Leiva will miss the game through suspension, having remarkably picked up five yellow cards in just six games. Raheem Sterling is likely to be bought in for his first league start of the campaign with Jordan Henderson moving into centre-midfield to cover Lucas.

Daniel Agger is back to full fitness and will hope to return to the line-up, but Rodgers will still be without Glen Johnson, Joe Allen and Ally Cissokho.

Crystal Palace will be hoping to get something out of an away game for the first time this season.

Jerome Thomas could be in line for a start after returning from injury against Southampton.

But Ian Holloway still has an extensive injury list that includes Paddy McCarthy and Glenn Murray, but Damien Delaney could return after an injury kept him out of the Southampton clash.

KICK-OFF: Saturday, 3.00 pm

PAST THREE MEETINGS…

Crystal Palace 2 (Freedman, Reich) Liverpool 1 (Gerrard), League Cup, October 2005

Crystal Palace 1 (Johnson) Liverpool 0, Premier League, April 2005

Liverpool 3 (Baros 3) Crystal Palace 2 (Kolkka, Hughes), Premier League, November 2004

STATS

Since the turn of the millennium, Liverpool have recorded just two wins against Crystal Palace, to their opponents four. They have also drawn on one occasion.

The last time the two teams played in the Premier League was April 2005, where an Andy Johnson winner. It was a month before Liverpool won the Champions League in Istanbul.

Daniel Sturridge has scored 12 goals in his previous 12 games in a Reds shirt.

Crystal Palace have lost every away game they have played so far this season. In fact they haven’t won an away league game since that start of March, when they beat Hull 4-2.

Of their 5 goals in all competitions this season, two have come in the 90 minute.

ODDS…

Liverpool to win: 1.23

Crystal Palace to win: 18

Draw: 7

TV: Highlights on BBC 1, Saturday, 10.30pm and BBC 1, Sunday, 10.25pm