Javier Mascherano hasn’t made the squad for today’s visit of Burnley after returning from international duty with Argentina carrying an injury.
Jay Spearing doesn’t get the nod to start in his place, instead Rafa has opted to drop Steven Gerrard into a deeper role alongside Lucas, with Benayoun starting just behind Torres.
The game came to soon for Fabio Aurelio, who isn’t on the bench either; Emiliano Insua starts at left-back. Martin Skrtel makes a return to the starting line-up, with Kyrgiakos dropping to the bench, Carrager and Johnson making up the rest of the back-four.
Dirk Kuyt starts on the right, but there’s no place in the squad for his compatriot Ryan Babel who isn’t in the 18. Albert Riera gets a chance to impress on the left-hand side.
Premier League newcomers Burnley have already shown this season that they mustn’t be understimated, something Rafa already knew from his first season in the Reds hotseat.
Michael Shields is set to attend a match for the first time since he was in Istanbul for the Champions League victory of 2005. He was pardoned and freed earlier in the week having spent four-and-a-half years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of attempted murder in Bulgaria a few days after that final. Liverpool have rolled out the red carpet to the 22 year old on what will be a very special day for him.
Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Insua, Carragher, Skrtel, Lucas, Gerrard, Riera, Benayoun, Kuyt, Torres
Subs: Cavalieri, Degen, Dossena, Spearing, Ngog, Voronin, Kyrgiakos.
Burnley: Jensen, Alexander, Carlisle, Mears, Bikey, Jordan, Elliott, McCann, Fletcher, Paterson, Blake
Subs: Penny, McDonald, Gudjonsson, Guerrero, Eagles, Nugent, Thompson
Referee: Lee Mason
Well other than playing Masch instead of Lucas I think this is our strongest and best formation until Aquilani is fit and ready.