Preview: Liverpool vs. Manchester United

The focus of this weekend's hotly anticipated Premier League clash will be on events before the afternoon kickoff as Liverpool and Manchester United plan to pay tribute to the victims of the Hillsborough disaster.

An independent panel revealed last week that the South Yorkshire Police had attempted to cover up their incompetence and launch a smear campaign against Liverpool fans by suggesting that they had contributed to the death of 96 of their own fans during a crush at the Hillsborough Stadium in an FA Cup semi-final 23 years ago.

While United and Liverpool are known for their fierce rivalry, both club captains Steven Gerrard and Nemanja Vidic are expected to release 96 red balloons, while Patrice Evra and Luis Suarez are due to shake hands before the match.

Brendan Rodgers is likely to bring his senior regulars back into the fold after making wholesale changes for the Reds' 5-3 win over Young Boys in the Europa League last night.

Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel should hold firm in the back four, while Joe Allen and Gerrard are expected to line the midfield with Pepe Reina returning in goal.

Meanwhile, Sir Alex Ferguson is expected to choose Robin van Persie to lead the line as Wayne Rooney continues to recover from a thigh injury, while Shinji Kagawa should sit just behind the Dutchman to provide service from midfield.

David de Gea is also likely to keep his spot between the posts after playing in the Red Devils' 1-0 win over Galatasaray in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Recent form:

Liverpool: DDLDW Man United: LWWWW

Possible lineups:

Liverpool: Reina; Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Enrique; Allen, Gerrard, Shelvey; Borini, Suarez, Sterling

Man United: De Gea; Rafael, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Carrick, Scholes; Valencia, Kagawa, Nani; Van Persie

Sports Mole says: 1-2