Liverpool v Wolves preview

Benitez: Maintains top-four pledge

PREDICTIONS:

Skysports.com prediction: 3-1

SKY BET odds: Liverpool 2/7, Draw 9/2, Wolves 10/1

One to Watch: Nenad Milijas

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Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez continues to guarantee that his side will finish in the top four of the Premier League, but the Spaniard will be well aware that anything less than three points against Wolves at Anfield will increase doubts.

The Reds have suffered a shocking campaign after producing numerous uninspiring displays to fall eight points off the UEFA Champions League places, a competition the 2005 winners were dumped out of at the group stages this season.

Defeat at Portsmouth last weekend was staggeringly a seventh league loss before Christmas and Benitez will therefore be desperate to avoid another setback on Boxing Day against 2008/09's Championship winners.

Wolves, though, will visit Merseyside high on confidence following a run of three wins from four games, which has seen the Midlanders climb to 12th position in the table.

The only defeat in the recent blip was when McCarthy grabbed the headlines for selecting a second-string side at Manchester United, a decision which paid off as survival rivals Burnley were beaten last time out.

Benitez could bring in Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani, who missed last weekend's defeat at Portsmouth with a calf injury.

Lacking confidence

Aquilani, a £20million summer signing from Roma, has yet to start a Premier League game for Liverpool having battled to recover from ankle surgery.

With Javier Mascherano suspended, Aquilani could be plunged into the Wolves match, while another option would be to slot short-on-confidence captain Steven Gerrard back into midfield and select Yossi Benayoun behind Fernando Torres.

Benitez has dismissed suggestions that lethal marksman Torres requires surgery on a hernia operation, but Albert Riera, Martin Kelly and Nabil El Zhar are not expected to return from injury until the New Year.

McCarthy, who has voiced his frustration at the criticism of his decision to shuffle his pack at Old Trafford, is poised to name an unchanged side for the meeting at Anfield.

With the exception of Michael Kightly, David Edwards and Andy Keogh, who all have ankle problems, Wolves have no other injury worries to contend with.

McCarthy's men follow the game against Liverpool with another tough clash against Manchester City on Monday.

Possible starting XIs

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Agger, Carragher, Insua, Kuyt, Lucas, Gerrard, Aurelio, Benayoun, Torres.

Wolves: Hahnemann, Stearman, Craddock, Berra, Foley, Ward, Henry, Milijas, Jarvis, Doyle, Ebanks-Blake.