Two ex-Reds face Liverpool at Anfield tonight – Chris Kirkland in goal and Emile Heskey up front for Steve Bruce’s Birmingham.
Rafa has been able to make the long-awaited recall of Jermaine Pennant, one of a number of Reds who’d been missed through injury in 2007, but Daniel Agger still wasn’t ready. The Dane isn’t the only centre-back unavailable – Sami Hyypia is also missing so Alvaro Arbeloa is once again used as a makeshift centre half.
Rafa has selected Mascherano, Alonso and Gerrard, so it will be interesting to see how they actually line up at kick-off time. Only Torres has been selected from Rafa’s strikers – Kuyt and Crouch are on the bench.
Liverpool: 25 Reina, 3 Finnan, 17 Arbeloa, 23 Carragher, 12 Aurelio, 16 Pennant, 14 Alonso, 20 Mascherano, 7 Kewell, 8 Gerrard, 9 Torres
Subs: 30 Itandje, 6 Riise, 11 Benayoun, 15 Crouch, 18 Kuyt
Wigan: 1 Kirkland, 25 Melchiot, 18 Scharner, 19 Bramble, 8 Kilbane, 16 Valencia, 14 Landzaat, 11 Brown, 2 Taylor, 9 Heskey, 23 Bent
Subs: 12 Pollitt, 6 Sibierski, 10 Koumas, 17 Boyce, 20 Olembe
Referee: Steve Bennett