Blackpool v Liverpool

Last updated : 10 January 2011 By BBC Sport

Liverpool's talismanic captain Steven Gerrard is suspended for manager Kenny Dalglish's first league match in charge of the Reds for almost 20 years.

Gerrard was sent off for a two-footed tackle in the FA Cup defeat to Man Utd.

Blackpool

Doubtful: Grandin (hamstring)

Injured/unavailable: Basham (leg), Carney (international duty), Clarke, Gilks & Martin (all knee), Harewood (hamstring)

Liverpool

Suspended: Gerrard (three matches)

Injured: Carragher (shoulder), Spearing (ankle)

MATCH PREVIEW

When Kenny Dalglish was last in charge of Liverpool, Blackpool were in the old Fourth Division - now the two Premier League teams sit side by side on 25 points.

Kenny is a lovely man and good luck to him - but not on Wednesday. I don't want him to have any luck then. I hope he has stinking luck

Blackpool manager Ian Holloway

Dalglish will find many other changes since his last stint in charge of the Reds but their spirited 10-man display in the FA Cup defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford will give Liverpool fans hope that he still retains his golden touch.

Having come away beaten but not bowed from the largest stadium in the Premier League, Dalglish now takes his side to the smallest, Bloomfield Road, in a re-arranged game after their Boxing Day clash was postponed by the weather.

It will be at places like this that Liverpool's season - and Dalglish's future - will be decided. Just one win away from home this season has left the Reds only four points clear of the relegation zone.

Blackpool, who were also knocked out of the FA Cup at the weekend, have the opposite problem - their home form is the worst in the Premier League.

Ian Holloway describes Dalglish as "an absolute hero of mine" but will be going all out for a famous double after the Seasiders' win at Anfield earlier this season, a result which contributed to the premature departure of Dalglish's predecessor Roy Hodgson.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Blackpool are unbeaten in their last four games against Liverpool, winning two of those matches.

• However, it is 56 years since the Reds' last defeat at Bloomfield Road (a 3-0 top-flight loss in 1954). They are unbeaten in their last six games at Blackpool, winning five of those matches.

Have your say on Wednesday's match

Blackpool

• Blackpool have the worst home record in this season's Premier League.

• DJ Campbell scored all four of Blackpool's league goals in December. No other Seasider has scored since 27 November.

• Ian Holloway's side are unbeaten when scoring the opening goal this season (W7, D2).

• Blackpool have scored and conceded in each of their seven league matches at Bloomfield Road this season. If they score and concede in this match, they will become the first team in Premier League history to do so in their first eight home matches of the season, and the first to achieve this in the top flight in 21 years since Southampton (eight matches) in 1989/90.

Liverpool

• The Reds have lost three of their last four league matches.

• Liverpool have lost their last four away matches in the Premier League. They have lost seven of their 10 away league matches this season and nine matches in total - their most at this stage of a top flight season in 57 years.

• This is Kenny Dalglish's first Premier League match as a manager in 12 years, four months and 22 days (4,527 days) since his Newcastle United side drew 1-1 at Chelsea on 22 August, 1998.

• Dalglish's last league match in charge of Liverpool came 19 years, 11 months and four days ago (or a total of 7,278 days). He is unbeaten in his last five league matches as Liverpool manager - since losing 1-0 at Crystal Palace on 30 December, 1990.

LEADING GOALSCORERS

Blackpool

Campbell: 6 goals (6 league); Harewood & Varney: 5 goals (5 league)

Liverpool

Gerrard: 8 goals (4 league); Ngog: 8 goals (2 league)

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Michael Oliver

Assistant referees: Mick McDonough & David Richardson

Fourth official: Anthony Taylor

LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS

Blackpool (L1-2 v Birmingham, h): Kingson, Eardley, Cathcart, Evatt, Crainey, Vaughan, Campbell, Adam, Phillips (Ormerod 70), Varney (Southern 81), Taylor-Fletcher (Euell 71). Subs Not Used: Rachubka, Baptiste, Sylvestre, Edwards.

Liverpool (L1-3 v Blackburn, a): Reina, Johnson, Kyrgiakos (Agger 51), Skrtel, Konchesky, Cole, Gerrard, Lucas, Maxi (Kuyt 58), Torres, Ngog (Babel 78). Subs Not Used: Gulacsi, Jovanovic, Poulsen, Kelly.

Source: BBC Sport

Source: BBC Sport