Under-pressure bosses set to clash as Liverpool host West Ham

Liverpool will be hoping to bounce back to victory against lowly West Ham on Saturday; however they will have to manage without their influential midfielder Steven Gerrard.

The 30-year-old international was injured in England’s midweek friendly defeat against France. Initial reports state he could miss up to four weeks of action, joining Joe Cole and Daniel Agger on the Merseyside club’s treatment table.

Whilst news on his captain’s absence has left Roy Hodgson feeling “frustrated and disappointed”, the Reds boss is able to call upon strikers Dirk Kuyt and Fernando Torres and defenders Martin Skrtel and Glen Johnson, all of whom are recently back into training and are expected to feature.

Liverpool, currently 11th in the Premier League table, could move up as high as 5th if other results go in their favour. With five goals in four games against the Hammers, Torres will undoubtedly be a key man in the fixture, as he will look to match his performance against current Premier League leaders Chelsea a fortnight ago. The Spaniard is currently 4/1 to repeat his brace of goals in the evening fixture, and against a shaky West Ham back-line that have conceded 11 league goals away from home this season, he will fancy adding to his tally of five so far.

West Ham’s chances of claiming anything from the game appear slim. Avram Grant’s men are stuck at the bottom of the league, winning just once overall this season. Their record visiting Anfield is just as uneasy on the eye; the London club have not won in their last 38 league visits, dating back forty-seven years. Last season’s corresponding fixture resulted in a 3-0 win for Liverpool, and a similar outcome this time around is priced at 10/1.

In what may end up being his last match in charge of the club, former Chelsea and Portsmouth boss Grant will be hoping that Liverpool’s off-colour start to the season will be their downfall. Recently promoted Blackpool managed a 2-1 victory in front of the Kop last month, underlining just how much Hodgson’s own position is equally insecure. A current price of 12/1 is available for Liverpool to lose 1-0 – a result that would no doubt see the Anfield support calling for the end of Hodgson’s reign.