Liverpool vs. Manchester United: Gerrard and Vidic Will Determine Outcome

In most years, to suggest that the North West derby between Liverpool and Manchester United will be decided by the efforts of Steven Gerrard and Nemanja Vidic for their respective sides would be anything but a shock.

But the 2011-12 English Premier League season has been anything but typical for the two skippers, even as their clubs battle for the top of the table, as has long been tradition between the two preeminent powerhouses of British football.

Gerrard and Vidic have both been slowed by injuries in the early going, though neither one's side has suffered in the standings as a result. Gerrard has worked his way back from an offseason groin operation to serve as a substitute in each of the Reds' last three games and figures to once again take the place of Charlie Adam, unless Kenny Dalglish opts for a bigger alignment in the midfield.

Vidic, on the other hand, has been absent since the Red Devils' season-opening victory over West Brom, during which the Serbian centre back pulled up with a calf injury that's kept him out of action for Man U since.

The coincidence of their returns comes at a particularly important moment for their clubs, albeit in mid-October. Liverpool currently sits fifth in the EPL table, six points behind United and Manchester City for the top spot. A win for the Reds, then, will pull them within three points of their biggest rivals.

Picking up three points will be no easy task for the Reds. The two clubs will meet at Anfield, where United haven't won since 2007, though the Reds will need more than just the chorus of the Kop to notch a victory over Sir Alex Ferguson's loaded side, who have accrued points in each of their league matches this season. Dalglish will need the 31-year-old Gerrard to stabilize a midfield that's led Kopites on a roller coaster ride through the first two months of the campaign. New boys Adam, Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing have been inconsistent on the pitch, to say the least, amidst a first-team squad that's been flooded with new faces since January.

Gerrard's familiarity with Man U and knowledge of his own club will come in handy on Saturday. The Reds will need him to shore up their midfield against up-and-coming phenoms like Anderson and Tom Cleverley, who is expected to return after a remarkably speedy recovery from a foot injury suffered against Bolton.

The Red Devils will be more than happy to have Vidic back as well. They've allowed only five goals thus far, though that total belies just how shaky Fergie's defense really is. United have surrendered 97 shots on goal, the most of any club in the EPL, with debutante David de Gea already appearing rather fragile in goal as is. Man U's young back line of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Jonny Evans has let up of late after performing remarkably well in place of Vidic and Rio Ferdinand.

Now that Vidic and Ferdinand have returned, the talented but largely untested trio can finally step back and watch the masters at work against one of the most potent attacks outside of the Warehouse City. No longer will Vidic have to tangle with nemesis Fernando Torres in this derby, though Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll won't make life any easier on the 29-year-old.

Of course, there's no guarantee that either Gerrard or Vidic will be able to have the sort of impact on the match that one might usually expect. Both are still nursing their knocks quite carefully and may not be fully effective against one another.

That being said, whichever side gets the better effort out of its injured star will be the one to emerge with the more satisfactory result at the end of the day.

Which, judging solely by Gerrard's earlier return, would tilt the match in the Reds' favor, however slightly.