Premier League Build Up: Liverpool vs. Manchester United

The two Premier League giants go at it again in the two's longstanding Northwest English Derby on Saturday at 12:45 English Time, with both clubs looking to consolidate on rather shaky performances in their first three games.

Manchester United are ninth on the league table with four points having played one less game than most other clubs, and Liverpool are second on the table with three lacklustre performances grinding them seven points.

Liverpool are coming off a 0-0 draw with Aston Villa at Villa Park largely overshadowed by an injury to Spanish Star Fernando Torres, while Manchester United had a close win over Mid-Table league side Portsmouth 1-0 with a goal from midfielder Darren Fletcher.

The Reds have their two stars injured with neither club captain Steven Gerrard nor striker Fernando Torres expected to make a start in the match. Gerrard has ruled himself out and said that his playing "had come too soon."

Reds Manager Rafa Benitez is still holding belief that both players may play some part in the highly anticipated match on Saturday. "It is difficult to say if they can play because they may have not played for 10 or 15 days, but they are working hard and improving, so there's still time to decide," he said.

The Red Devils, on the other hand have been boosted by the return of regulars Ryan Giggs, Michael Carrick, and Rio Ferdinand who have been struggling with injuries of late.

The 34-year-old Giggs is back after a hamstring strain, Carrick after an ankle injury during an English International, and a bad back for Rio Ferdinand who played a big part in England's 4-1 win over Croatia yesterday.

The mind games have already started, with Sir Alex Ferguson stating that "The big surprise was Liverpool paying £20million for Keane."

Robbie Keane hit back, saying, "I’m very surprised [Ireland teammate] John O’Shea doesn’t play for United every week. Football is about opinions and I respect everybody’s opinion."

Reds fans will be worried about their two players' absences, with their attacking play looking shaky in previous games. It was only fantastic strikes from Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres respectively in the Middlesbrough and Sunderland games that earned Liverpool wins.

However, PFA player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo is still out with his rehabilitation and is not expected to be back any time soon.

Reds defender Alvaro Arbeloa believed that even without their two stars, Liverpool had a good chance of beating last year's Double winners. "It will be a hard game for us, but it will also be tough for them—their defenders have to play against players like Yossi Benayoun, Dirk Kuyt and Robbie Keane...We can still beat Manchester United without Fernando and Stevie."

Liverpool have not won a game against Manchester United at home in six games under the Benitez era, and have only scored one goal due to a John O'Shea own goal. Steven Gerrard said earlier this week, "It's important a few risks are taken to try to score that goal against these teams because it gives you such a psychological boost."

A win would not only mean an early lead in the Premier League—it would also give Liverpool fans and players a massive confidence boost in the belief that they can win their first League title in 18 years. "The fans are screaming out for it, the players want it, and we need to deliver," Steven Gerrard told the media earlier this week.