After suffering from an injury ravaged season so far, Rio Ferdinand’s substitution in our 1-0 victory over CSKA Moscow last night was just precautionary, with the manager worried of the effects an artificial surface might have on Rio’s back, ahead of our important game at the weekend.

Rio reckons it doesn’t matter that Liverpool are currently suffering from their worst run in 22 years, as form goes out of the window in the big games.

“I think form goes out of the window in these games,” said Ferdinand. “We all know that when there’s a big rivalry between two teams, whether it’s a derby or a big cup clash, form doesn’t come into it. It all comes down to who performs best on the day and that’s what we’re looking to do.”