test

Bolton v Liverpool: Preview

Bolton captain Kevin Nolan returns from suspension for the visit of joint Barclays Premier League leaders Liverpool.

The boyhood Reds supporter served a one-match ban during last weekend’s 1-0 victory at Hull but he should make an immediate return to the starting line-up.

Wanderers boss Gary Megson has no other concerns and could discard the 4-4-2 formation he used at the KC Stadium, reverting to a 4-5-1 and bringing back Nolan at Johan Elmander’s expense.

Megson has backed Liverpool to continue their flying start to the season and win a first domestic title since 1990.

Rafael Benitez’s men head to the Reebok Stadium as joint leaders of the Premier League and Megson is confident they have quality to last the distance this time around.

He said: “Liverpool are genuine contenders every year but what has happened this year is that they’ve got off to a good start.

“They seem settled and they are flying. They’ve had top-class players for the last 40 to 50 years and they’ve got great expectations.

“They’re expected to be in the Champions League and picking up Premier League titles and they are well capable of building on their great start this year.

“It seems incredible that it’s been 18 years since they won the league.

“Yes, they’ve won plenty of cups during that time but, ultimately, you are judged on Premier League titles.”

Local boy Stephen Darby could make his first senior start for Liverpool.

Darby, 20, the reserve-team skipper and a former member of Liverpool’s Youth Cup winning team, is standing by to fill in at right-back because Alvaro Arbeloa is suspended.

Swiss international full-back Philipp Degan has been diagnosed with a broken foot following the midweek Carling Cup defeat at Spurs and is out for a month.

Manager Rafael Benitez must decide whether to include Darby or switch Jamie Carragher to right-back and bring in Sami Hyypia in central defence.

Benitez, meanwhile, has defended his decision not to use academy youngsters in the midweek Carling Cup loss to Tottenham.

The Liverpool boss fielded a raft of overseas fringe players for Wednesday’s 4-2 loss at White Hart Lane, meaning there was no space in the starting XI for any of the club’s youth system players.

Darby did at least make an appearance from the bench against Spurs, and his inclusion will be a timely riposte to those who have criticised Benitez for not nurturing young, English talent, and the Spaniard insists academy players have a future at Anfield.

Benitez said: “Our young players will need more time. [Against Spurs] I decided to use the other members of the squad rather than very young players, mainly because the seniors needed to play matches.

“I have to think about having senior men ready to play in the Premier League as the season progresses. I was also concerned that we were playing against a Spurs side who have been doing very well, maybe it was not the game for teenagers.

“We used senior squad players and they did not play well. Fernando Torres played 55 minutes and did not play well, if the big names do not perform then you cannot blame the young players.

“We have good young players, the future for the club is brilliant. We have good, young, local players and they are working well.”

Benitez - who was today named Barclays Manager of the Month for October - will have all his big-name stars back at the Reebok.

Jose Reina, Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano, Dirk Kuyt, Robbie Keane and Albert Riera will all feature in the squad.

Live Streaming Link

Live Link