[Ardiey11]

Preview: Liverpool v Manchester United

Match details: Sunday 22 March at 13:30 GMT. Follow text commentary in ManUtd.com's live match blog, while MUTV has live audio between its pre- and post-match programmes. In the UK, the game is live on Sky Sports.

Scene-setter: It’s the big one. With nine games to go and the top-four race hotting up, two points separate fourth-placed United from fifth-placed Liverpool. So while the two sides may not be duking it out for the title, there is still plenty at stake at Anfield this weekend.

Form guide: United bounced back from the FA Cup defeat to Arsenal with one of the team’s best displays of the season to beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-0, a third successive Barclays Premier League win without conceding. Liverpool, meanwhile, haven’t lost in the league since going down 3-0 at Old Trafford in December and claimed a fifth successive top-flight victory by edging past Swansea City 1-0 on Monday.

Team news: Louis van Gaal could provide an update on Marcos Rojo and Luke Shaw, who both missed the Spurs game through injury, at his pre-match press conference on Friday. Angel Di Maria is available again after his red card against Arsenal but Jonny Evans remains suspended. For Liverpool, Mario Balotelli could be involved after recovering from illness but the game may come too soon for Lucas Leiva, who has resumed training after a long-term injury. Jose Enrique, Jon Flanagan and Jordon Ibe are sidelined.

Did you know? Five United players have scored hat-tricks against Liverpool during the teams’ 121-year rivalry: James Peters (1895), Sandy Turnbull (1907), Joe Spence (1928), Stan Pearson (1946) and Dimitar Berbatov (2010).

Opposition boss: Brendan Rodgers was heralded for guiding Liverpool to second place last season, only to find himself under pressure early this term, as a third successive league defeat left his team down in 12th place in the table in November. But since switching to a 3-4-3 system at the turn of the year, the Northern Irishman has transformed his team and although they bowed out of the Europa League, the Merseysiders are mounting a major top-four challenge.

Rivals watch: Second-placed Manchester City host West Brom at 12:45 GMT on Saturday, before third-placed Arsenal face Newcastle United away at 15:00 GMT. League leaders Chelsea head to Hull City for Sunday's late-afternoon match at 16:00 GMT.

Referee: Martin Atkinson took charge of the reverse fixture in December and has blown the whistle for two other United games this term - August's 1-1 draw at Sunderland and January’s 3-1 win over Leicester City. Mike Mullarkey and Stephen Child will assist him.