If you are just tuning in, these are the line-ups but I can tell you Dusan Tadic is down and needs treatment inside a minute. It looks like he collided with Ragnar Klavan but will perhaps have to shake off a bang on his thigh...

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Southampton will attack the Kop in the first period, meaning the home side will get their preference of attacking that end after the break. An early touch for Virgil van Dijk at the back and Southampton go long, asking Shane Long to chase.

Mark Lawrenson has gone for 2-0 to the Reds today. Are you considering your predictions for the weekend?

I'd urge you not to do so until you've dug into Will Ferrell's wisdom. He has an interesting role planned for Pele in the modern game.

In addition, he also told BBC Sport that Lawro - without a beard - looked like a dishevelled sea captain.

Sadio Mane looks down at his hands and prays. Virgil van Dijk wipes down his face as Southampton huddle....

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In today's match programme Jurgen Klopp calls on the home side to forget about recent good form and in true Klopp fashion, there's a colourful quote in there. Today records and needles play their part.

“We come into the game today in very good form, but after an international break it always feels the needle returns to the start of the record," writes Klopp.

The previous results were very nice but irrelevant come kick-off today. We start again and we need to be ready.

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You are looking at Liverpool's first Argentine player.

Mauricio Pellegrrino had some playing career, winning titles in his homeland, then La Liga three times. He also made the Champions League final twice.

Unfortunately, 13 outings for Liverpool delivered far from vintage displays and Pellegrino was moved in and out relatively swiftly by Rafael Benitez, though he returned as a first-team coach in 2007.

On returning today he said: "It will be a nice experience for me. I had a really happy time in my career as a player and as a coach at Liverpool.

"But on Saturday it is a nice opportunity to represent Southampton, and we will try to play well, play a good game and create problems for Liverpool."

Here come the players. Referee Mike Jones picks the ball up off that pathetic plinth they place it on at the exit of the tunnel thesedays. Even picking up a ball is some sought of hyped spectacle.

Walk out with it under your arm gents. It's old school and works.

Freelance football commentator Robyn Cowen has a cracking viewpoint from on high.

The players are in the tunnel. Focus on the face of Ragnar Klavan. He looks like he's staring at a competitive Scrabble board after digesting his Christmas dinner.

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The players have vacated the turf and the sprinklers dance water over the surface. It looks like we are watching a water show at the Bellagio.

Fans pass the famous Liverpool flag up the Kop as You'll Never Walk Alone begins to play. Some hold a scarf aloft, some get the camera phone out. Put it away and sing lads and lasses.

Looking at that team news, Sadio Mane being fit is an obvious line but what does Emre Can being on the bench tell us.

He has started eight times this season. In the background of course there is the ongoing contract chat.

And Saints fans, what do you think about Manolo Gabbiadini being left out for Shane Long? Surely a striker has to find goals and Long is struggling a tad as he's just ticked over nine months without finding the net. Tweet me on #bbcfootball.

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If you've never been to Anfield, this is what it's like underneath where the seats are in the Kop. It wasn't like that back in the day I'm sure. This lot perusing the screens and menus wouldn't have got a space back when the terraces required fans to get in early.

Meanwhile out on the pitch Jurgen Klopp continues to eyeball people like he's just been thrown out of a nightclub.

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Sadio Mane brushes off any concerns over a hamstring complaint picked up on international duty as he starts for Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp makes four changes from the side which won 4-1 at West Ham.

Trent Alexander-Arnold comes in for Joe Gomez, Dejan Lovren is in for the injured Joel Matip, Jordan Henderson returns as Emre Can hits the bench and Philippe Coutinho plays, so Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is among the replacements.

Liverpool: Mignolet, Wijnaldum, Lovren, Firmino, Coutinho, Salah, Henderson, Klavan, Moreno, Mane, Alexander-Arnold. Subs: Karius, Sturridge, Gomez, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Solanke, Milner, Can.

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Southampton makes two changes from the side which lost to Burnley. Wesley Hoedt comes into the defence, while Shane Long is preferred to Manolo Gabbiadini up front. Long's last goal came on 11 February.

Southampton: Forster, Soares, Hoedt, Long, Davis, Tadic, Romeu, Van Dijk, Boufal, Bertrand, Redmond. Subs: McCarthy, Yoshida, Austin, Ward-Prowse, Gabbiadini, Højbjerg, Targett.

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Jurgen Klopp is on the Anfield pitch and eyeballing the warm-up. He looks like a very focused man indeed. Team news next...

Simon Brotherton
MOTD commentator at Anfield

This is an occasion Southampton's manager Mauricio Pellegrino is clearly relishing. He had spells at Liverpool, external as both a player and a coach under Rafa Benitez and has good memories of his time on Merseyside.

His return to Anfield is one of several links between the two clubs this weekend. Liverpool could include two former Saints; Sadio Mane has recovered from a minor hamstring issue, and there's the possibility of Adam Lallana making his first appearance of the season after injury against his old club.

We'll also get to see Virgil van Dijk playing at Anfield, which is something he fancied doing on a regular basis when Liverpool unsuccessfully bid for him in the summer. That might still come to pass, with renewed speculation of a move away, external from St Mary's in January.

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Welcome to Anfield then one and all.

The players are warming up, Liverpool in red tracksuit tops - they go through a series of short sprints and then onto some lateral movements before performing longer sprints.

At the other end Southampton sport red tops and blue shorts as they work on some passing.

This live text will bring you everything from Merseyside and of course I want to hear from you on #bbcfootball.

Look how happy Jurgen Klopp is to see his man arrive at Anfield.

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I'm only joking of course but the whole Virgil van Dijk saga provides a little backdrop to today's Anfield meeting.

The Reds host the club they recorded their biggest ever win over in the Premier League era - 7-1 win here in 1999. This could be a third straight league win for Klopp since that wobble at Tottenham.

Southampton are looking for just league win number three of their entire season. What a place this would be to get it.

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I can tell you, look at the ticker on the bottom of our screen, here on transfer incredible, super, final, hyped up, boring, nonsense, sick of it deadline day, I can tell you, exclusively, that for the first time, our sources are telling us, you'll see by the colour of the ticker that this is a big one, it is our understanding that, finally, you won't want to miss this one but, at last, Virgil van Dijk is on Merseyside.