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Liverpool forward Daniel Sturridge is on the bench after injury while there is one change to the side that started in the 2-0 defeat at Leicester on Tuesday - Joe Allen replacing Lucas in midfield.   

Liverpool XI: Mignolet, Clyne, Lovren, Sakho, Moreno, Henderson, Can, Allen, Lallana, Milner, Firmino

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Twenty-one-year-old striker Duncan Watmore makes his sixth Premier League start for Sunderland in place of Fabio Borini, who is ill. The other change from the side that lost 1-0 at home to Manchester City on Tuesday is in midfield, Tunisia international Wahbi Khazri replacing Jeremain Lens.  

Sunderland XI: Mannone, Jones, van Aanholt, O’Shea, Kone, Kirchhoff, Cattermole, M’Vila, Khazri, Watmore, Defoe

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News of a significant absentee at Anfield.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp will not be present after suffering a suspected bout of appendicitis, external.

First team duties will be overseen by the remaining members of the coaching staff, including Zeljko Buvac, Peter Krawietz, Pepijn Lijnders and John Achterberg.

Will Klopp's absence hinder Liverpool?

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Big news from Anfield...Jurgen Klopp is missing and Daniel Sturridge is back.

Image source, Getty Images

One weekend until Valentine's Day and love is most definitely not in the air at Anfield.

The Kop is still waiting to witness a first Premier League home win of 2016. Jurgen Klopp is still waiting to see Liverpool keep a first Premier League clean sheet of the new calendar year.

To cap it all, big, bad Sam Allardyce is in town with struggling Sunderland. That's the same Sam Allardyce who loved rattling, external former Reds boss Rafael Benitez and who has already irked Klopp.

Ditch the red roses. All Liverpool fans want today is three ugly points.

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