Fulham v Liverpool
Barclays Premier League
Venue: Craven Cottage Date: Saturday, 31 October 2009 Kick-off: 1500 GMT
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 Live, commentary on BBC Radio Merseyside 95.8 FM, Final Score & highlights on Match of the Day
Fulham's Simon Davies has an outside chance of returning from a foot problem but Danny Murphy (knee) is still out.
Kagisho Dikgacoi sits out the match as he completes a three-game suspension.
Liverpool expect top scorer Fernando Torres to start at Craven Cottage but captain Steven Gerrard remains doubtful with a groin problem.
Javier Mascherano returns after serving a one-game ban against Arsenal, while Alberto Aquilani should be on the bench after an encouraging cameo in midweek.
Fulham
Suspended: Dikgacoi (one match) Doubtful: Davies (foot), Konchesky & Murphy (knee)
Injured: Etuhu (knee), Kallio (Achilles), Stockdale (knee)
Liverpool
Suspended: None Doubtful: Gerrard & Torres (groin)
Injured: Kelly (ankle), Riera (hamstring)
Three days after their Carling Cup exit to Arsenal, Liverpool return to the capital on the back of five defeats from their last six league and cup games.
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He [Alberto Aquilani] needs to improve his match fitness, but you could see that he can pass the ball and can make a big difference in the final third
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez
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The League Cup may not have been one of Rafael Benitez's priorities at the start of the season, but the loss to an inexperienced Gunners side halted much of the momentum garnered from last Sunday's win against Manchester United.
Despite the Reds' struggles, their league form - four wins from six games - has just about kept them in touch with the Premier League pace-setters.
Six months ago the Reds left it late to secure victory at Craven Cottage, with Yossi Benayoun's injury-time strike keeping their title hopes alive.
In-form Benayoun has been one of the few sources of invention in the Liverpool midfield this season. But the return to fitness of Alberto Aquilani, who impressed off the bench at Arsenal, could give the Reds another creative outlet.
Fulham showed resilience to hit back from two goals down at Manchester City but the biggest post-match talking point was Bobby Zamora's glaring miss.
It emerged this week that Zamora likes to relax away from football by fishing with England captain John Terry, but after ballooning the ball over from point-blank range at Eastlands, the Fulham striker may be reflecting on the one that got away.
Head-to-head
• Fulham have failed to score in their last four games against Liverpool (L3, D1).
• Clint Dempsey was the last Fulham player to net against the Reds, scoring the only goal at Craven Cottage on 5 May 2007. Liverpool fielded a makeshift line-up for that match, which preceded the Reds' Champions League final against AC Milan.
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606: DEBATE
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Fulham
• Fulham have won one of their last five league games.
• The only Fulham player to score a hat-trick against Liverpool is Elton John's uncle Roy Dwight, who did so in 1956. The last Liverpool player to net a treble in the fixture was Billy Liddell in 1954.
• Roy Hodgson's side have failed to score in only one of their last 10 games in all competitions (at home to Arsenal last month).
Liverpool
• Rafael Benitez's side have won four of their last six league games. However, they have lost their last two away games in the top flight (at Chelsea and Sunderland).
• Liverpool have netted 24 goals in 10 league games so far. At the start of the weekend, only Arsenal (29) had a better record.
• Should the Reds win at Craven Cottage, they will have five points fewer than at the same stage last season, when they claimed 26 points from their opening 11 games.
• Defeat at Arsenal was the sixth season in a row Liverpool had lost to London opposition in the League Cup.
• Fernando Torres needs three goals to reach 50 league strikes for the Reds. Should he score them in the next 13 games he will have achieved the feat quicker than any other Liverpool player ever. Only 13 of his goals have come away from Anfield.
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Fulham
Murphy & Zamora: 4 goals (2 league)
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Liverpool
Torres: 9 goals (9 league);
Benayoun & Kuyt: 4 goals (3 league)
Referee: Lee Mason
Assistant referees: Michael Murphy & Simon Long
Fourth official: Simon Bennett
Fulham (D2-2 v Man City, a): Schwarzer, Pantsil, Hangeland, Hughes, Kelly, Duff, Greening, Baird, Dempsey, Kamara (Seol 90), Zamora.
Subs Not Used: Zuberbuhler, Nevland, Gera, Riise
Liverpool (W2-0 v Man Utd, h): Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Insua, Lucas, Mascherano, Benayoun (Skrtel 90), Kuyt, Aurelio, Torres (Ngog 80).
Subs Not Used: Cavalieri, Voronin, Babel, Spearing, Degen.
Liverpool scorer: Benayoun 90
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