Venue Old Trafford, Saturday 12.45pm Sky Sports 2 Ref P Dowd Odds Man Utd 5-6 Liverpool 16-5 Draw 5-2

The availability of Luis Suárez adds a fresh ingredient to this simmering rivalry. The striker will face an away crowd and Patrice Evra for the first time since serving his ban for racially abusing the defender, if selected, and can prey on a Manchester United defence that has conceded two more goals this season than it did throughout the last campaign. Sir Alex Ferguson has fewer injury concerns than he did at Anfield for the recent FA Cup fourth-round tie, which his side lost 2-1, and his team will set a new club record of scoring in 43 successive league games should they beat José Reina. Andy Hunter

Prob teams Man Utd De Gea; R da Silva, Ferdinand, Smalling, Evra; Carrick, Giggs; Valencia, Rooney, Nani; Welbeck Liverpool Reina; Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, José Enrique; Spearing, Adam; Kuyt, Gerrard, Suárez; Carroll