Chelsea v Liverpool Preview: Reds Dismiss Torres Threat

All eyes will be on Fernando Torres, and to a lesser extent Raul Meireles, when Liverpool travel to Chelsea for Sunday's late kick-off.

English football's most expensive striker is likely to feel the burden of that £50m transfer fee weigh heavily on his shoulders when he lines up against his former team-mates at Stamford Bridge.

However, Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish is unlikely to be overly troubled by Torres' return of five goals in 30 games and it says much for the visiting team's attitude that their assistant manager Steve Clarke has admitted they have no special game plan to nullify the Spain international.

Nine months ago, Liverpool contained the striker's threat with ease, claiming a 1-0 victory mere days after he had finalised his record-breaking transfer to west London.

"When you play in the big games against the top sides they've got dangerous players all over the pitch so to single out one player would be a little bit silly," Clarke told the Evening Standard.

"It's better if you concentrate on defending and working as a team so you can stop all the threats.

"I think Fernando's record speaks for itself. He is a top goal scorer and a really good player. He has gone to Chelsea and it hasn't quite worked out the way he hoped but when you watch the games his contribution is there to see."

Team News

Liverpool are confident Luis Suarez will be fit after he limped out of Uruguay's mid-week match against Italy with a back complaint.

Jamie Carragher could feature after recovering from a calf injury but Steven Gerrard remains side-lined with an ankle infection.

Didier Drogba returns for Chelsea following suspension, while manager Andre Villas-Boas has John Obi Mikel available after the midfielder recovered from a back injury.

Michael Essien is a long-term absentee with a knee injury.

Chelsea probable XI: Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole; Lampard, Ramires, Mikel; Mata, Drobga, Torres.

Liverpool probable XI: Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Enrique; Lucas, Adam; Downing, Henderson; Kuyt, Suarez.