Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has a twinkle in his eye when he tells the BT Sport interviewer that he will have to "wait and see" whether the Reds play with three or four men at the back. I'm going with three...

Rodgers also says that Mario Balotelli is missing tonight because he is "not feeling well". Whether he was saying that with a straight face or not I could not possibly comment. But you or I would have to be very ill to miss an FA Cup quarter-final...

Image source, Getty Images

Glaze in Manchester: As a Rovers fan, call me an optimist but if Bradford can beat Chelsea at the Bridge and if Boro can beat City at the Etihad, then Blackburn can surely beat Liverpool at home.

Simon from Sussex: Good to see that Brendan has reacted to Saturday's "negative start" by selecting the same super-positive midfield pairing of Allen and Lucas...

Keith in Rochdale: If Liverpool reach the final, will Steven Gerrard be in the team?

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Helping Steven Gerrard end his Liverpool career with a dream win at Wembley is something which the Liverpool players can't "get away from", says fellow midfielder Joe Allen.

"That is something that drives us. We all feel we owe Steven a lot," adds the Welshman.

Earlier (see 19:22) my colleague Phil McNulty mentioned the state of the patchy Ewood Park pitch - but Blackburn boss Gary Bowyer reckons (with his tongue firmly in cheek, I think) claims it is "the best it has looked in a while". Hmmm I've seen better looking surfaces in the Doncaster Sunday Alliance League...

Blackburn manager Gary Bowyer on BT Sport: "I give a lot of passion in the dressing room, I play every ball when the match starts. Every manager is different but I'm very passionate and I love to get involved."

Most managers would be standing in the dressing room 25 minutes before kick-off, geeing up their players with a quiet word in the ear or running through the match tactics one final time. Some might even be sitting down and having a flick through the match programme.

Not Blackburn boss Gary Bowyer. He is stood on the Ewood Park touchline chatting to BT Sport's television pundits, including former Rovers heroes Chris Sutton and Robbie Savage. Remarkable scenes.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at Ewood Park

Image source, Getty Images

"Ewood Park plays hosts to a sell-out crowd for the first time in four years for this FA Cup quarter-final replay between Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool - who are looking to this competition for salvation after their top four hopes were hit by successive defeats to Manchester United and Arsenal.

"This will be no easy task with Blackburn boss Gary Bowyer convinced they can pull off a shock and secure a semi-final against Aston Villa at Wembley.

"Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has had his reservations about the Anfield playing surface this season and he is unlikely to feel any more comfortable about an Ewood Park pitch that is patchy in parts. Some might call them classic FA Cup conditions."

Rich Shimmo: As a Liverpool fan, getting into the Champions League should be job number one. But we aren't strong enough to compete there at the moment, so FA Cup all the way!

Michael Griffin: I would genuinely be happy with fifth place in the Premier League and winning the FA Cup, a definite improvement on where we were only two years ago.

Jack Lofthouse: The Liverpool back three or four costs more than Blackburn's entire squad!

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Former Everton and Republic of Ireland winger Kevin Kilbane
at Ewood Park for 5 live Sport

"Blackburn's side is full of enforced changes. Rudy Gestede would have started had he been fully fit, I'm sure of that. Up front, Liverpool are as good as any team in the country. Real attacking threat, and Blackburn will have trouble containing them.

"Jordan Rhodes is a top, top goalscorer, and if he gets just one chance tonight he could punish Liverpool."

Blackburn boss Gary Bowyer is looking to take the six-times winners into the semi-finals for the first time since 2007.

FA Cup keeper Simon Eastwood is one of three changes as midfielders Craig Conway and Corry Evans are included from the side that defeated Leeds on Saturday.

Spanish goalkeeper David Raya and midfielder Jay Spearing are cup-tied and striker Rudy Gestede is only deemed fit enough for the bench after suffering a hamstring injury at Elland Road.

Two of his fellow substitutes, Ryan Niyambi and Darragh Lenihan have never played a first-team game, whilst Connor Mahoney had made one appearance as a substitute. Not exactly strength in depth...

Andrew: Blackburn Rovers go into tonight's game in the perfect position, with absolutely nothing to lose. Liverpool carry all the pressure, while these Blackburn players have the chance to be heroes and book a trip to Wembley.

Laurie: Gerrard's birthday is on the day of the FA Cup final which will also be his last game for Liverpool (if Liverpool win tonight)? Steven Spielberg has been conspiring with God!

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Thanks Brendan for stating the obvious below (see 19:07) - I'm pretty sure every Liverpool fan would be a little more than disappointed if the Reds finished out of the top four AND failed to lift the FA Cup.

But which takes the priority for you? Tell us by tweeting #bbcfootball, texting 81111 or posting on our Facebook page., external And that's also the place to pipe up with anything else (football-related) that you want to get off your chest.

Former Everton and Republic of Ireland winger Kevin Kilbane
at Ewood Park for 5 live Sport

"Brendan Rodgers said in the build-up to this game that this season will have been one of progress if they can win this trophy.

"Liverpool's recent performances have been poor but their season can't just come to a halt. This is a big match for Liverpool tonight, and you would think that they will play really positively in order to try and beat Blackburn.

"But Rovers put in a really good defensive performance in the game at Anfield, so it won't be straightforward for the Premier League side."

Image source, Getty Images

Would winning the FA Cup make up for missing out on Champions League qualification? Or is finishing in the top four the sole indicator of a successful season for Liverpool? I don't think even Brendan Rodgers is totally sure - well, publicly at least.

"I don't want to go down the route of saying that it would save our season. Our objective at the start though was to win a trophy," says the Northern Irishman, who admitted after the Arsenal defeat the Reds' hopes of a top four finish were virtually over.

"So I think if we didn't get into the top four and we didn't have a trophy this year, we would be disappointed."

So Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers makes three changes to his starting line up from that embarrassing 4-1 thumping at Arsenal.

England striker Daniel Sturridge is the most eye-catching newcomer, replacing Lazar Markovic who drops to the bench.

With Emre Can joining Martin Skrtel and Steven Gerrard in missing out through suspension following his red card at the Emirates on Saturday, Glen Johnson earns a recall, joining Dejan Lovren in a new-look Reds defence.

The Croatian, like Johnson, starts his first game in a month at the expense of Kolo Toure.

Image source, Getty Images

Spot the empty seat at Ewood Park - because there will not be many. Tonight's match is a sell-out, with almost 28,000 fans expected as Blackburn fans pack out the stadium for the first time since 2011.

"We're talking about an extra 20,000 fans in the stadium," says Rovers boss Bowyer.

"Slowly but surely their interest has gone back into the team. It's great for us because it's the next stage for us to carry on growing."

Former Blackburn striker Kevin Gallacher
BBC Radio 5 live pundit

"The absence of Josh King is a massive loss for the hosts, what with all his pace.

"It would be nice for Blackburn to get to Wembley, because my old skipper Tim Sherwood is managing the semi-final opposition, Aston Villa. Plus it's the 20th anniversary this year of Blackburn winning the Premier League. I would love to see Blackburn going through."

Blackburn striker Rudy Gestede, who has scored 16 goals this season, is only fit enough for a place on the bench.

Blackburn starting XI: Eastwood, Henley, Baptiste, Kilgallon, Olsson, Conway, Williamson, Evans, Marshall, Cairney, Rhodes.

Former Blackburn striker Kevin Gallacher
BBC Radio 5 live pundit

"Liverpool's confidence, because of recent performances, will have taken a knock. But in football you've got to be aware of an injured animal.

"Liverpool will be smarting over that massive defeat to Arsenal and the weekend, and they will want to put things right straightaway. Brendan Rodgers, in his pre-match team-talk, won't have to say very much. How did it feel after that Arsenal? Were the players embarrassed? Could they look at themselves in the mirror afterwards?

"This is what Blackburn have to be aware of - it will be such a tough game."

Image source, @LFC/Twitter

And here's a sneak peek at the 11 shirts hung up inside the Liverpool dressing room at Ewood Park. Still waiting to hear the team news from the home side...