Liverpool and Manchester United are hopeful Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra will shake hands prior to Sunday's Premier League encounter at Anfield.

Suarez was banned for eight matches by The Football Association for racially abusing Evra 11 months ago, and following the Uruguayan's refusal to reconcile before the match at Old Trafford in February the pair will make peace this weekend to rebuild relations between the two clubs.

The game marks the first match at Anfield since the families of the 96 Liverpool fans who died during the Hillsborough disaster learned the truth surrounding the tragedy and the handshake is likely to come amid a number of tributes from both clubs.

Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra
Suarez refused to shake hands with Evra in February after being banned for eight matches for racially abusing the French defender. Reuters

Captains Steven Gerrard and Nemanja Vidic will release 96 red balloons prior to kick-off, while a series of messages will be shown in the Anfield crowd.

'The Truth' will be displayed by supporters on the Kop, 'Justice' on the Lower Centenary Stand and '96' on the Anfield Road End.

Merseyside neighbours Everton marked the news on Monday with a minute's applause for those that died at Hillsborough prior to kick-off in their game with Newcastle United, while two children, each wearing opposing teams' shirts came onto the pitch hand in hand to show an area united by justice.

News of the exoneration of the 96 Liverpool fans who lost their lives at Hillsborough in 1989 last week was met with distasteful chants from sections of the United support during their Premier League game with Wigan Athletic.

Both sets of supporters have been guilty in the past of ridiculing their respective tragedies, and United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, while lending his support to Liverpool ahead of the weekend's memorials, has called for an end to the songs.

Tensions between the two clubs were further exacerbated during February's game at Old Trafford where Suarez appeared to reject the hand of Evra, whom he had previously been charged with racially abusing three months earlier.

The incident sparked a tempestuous affair between the two most successful clubs in English domestic football history, for which Liverpool apologised for in the aftermath.

Following Anton Ferdinand's refusal to shake the hand of Chelsea captain John Terry, who in July was cleared of racially abusing the Queens Park Rangers defender, fears were rife a similar rejection from Suarez could spark uproar similar to that seen last season and overshadow the Hillsborough tributes.

Meanwhile, United have announced their players with wear black armbands during their Champions League match against Galatasaray on Wednesday evening in memory of the two policewomen PC Fiona Bone and PC Nicola Hughes who were killed while on duty in Greater Manchester.

Ferguson said: "We are all deeply saddened by the tragic loss of two young policewomen protecting our community.

"Fiona and Nicola were highly valued members of Greater Manchester Police and the local community. Our thoughts and prayers are now with their families and friends at this devastatingly sad time."

Manchester United FC