Brendan Rodgers will be keen to see his side get off to a winning start when Liverpool host Stoke City in the opening game of the new English Premier League season.
Liverpool have grabbed the headlines over the Luis Suarez transfer issue this summer and Rodgers will be keen to turn the media's and public's attention towards the results come Saturday.
It will not be easy though, as Rodgers comes up against a Stoke side beginning a new era under new manager Mark Hughes, who has promised to take the Potters away from the negative style of play and bring some excitement back into the Britannia Stadium.
"We are ready for it now," Hughes said. "We feel that we have had enough friendly games, and put in the right amount of good quality work on the training pitches so as far as I am concerned it's time for the real thing.
"In terms of the work that the players have done and the progression that they have made, it really has been incredible. If anything they are ahead of where I anticipated them being at this moment in time.
"The attitude and application from them really has been eye opening; and truth be told it is a pleasure to come in to work each and every day, because they are a very special group of players who have an incredible work ethic.
"The talking stops tomorrow though, and we have to go out there and put everything that we have been working on into practise. It's going to be very difficult because Liverpool are a top team, but we will go there and look to be positive."
Rodgers of course will be without Suarez for the first six games of the season, but the temperamental Uruguayan resumes training with the rest of the first team players after apologizing for his behaviour.
Stoke will be missing the services of Brek Shea and Jamie Ness through injury.
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Expected lineups: Liverpool: Mignolet; Johnson, Toure, Ager, Enrique; Gerrard, Lucas; Sterling, Coutinho, Henderson; Sturridge.
Stoke: Begovic; Wilkinson, Shawcross, Huth, Pieters; Adam, Whelan, N'Zonzi; Jerome, Crouch, Walters.
Prediction: 1-0 to Liverpool
