Steven Gerrard took the headlines with everything Liverpool over the past few days, but it will be back to the football field for Brendan Rodgers' men when they take on AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup third round on Monday.
Gerrard announced he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, when his contract with the only club he has played for expires. That means this FA Cup run will be Gerrard's final one as a player and Liverpool will want to ensure it does not end at the first time of asking on Monday.
The Liverpool skipper is expected to be rested for the FA Cup third round tie following a busy festive period, with Gerrard expected to be named on the bench at best.
Rodgers watched from the dugout as Liverpool threw away a two-goal lead against Leicester City -- a game which saw Gerrard score both goals -- in the English Premier League and the manager could welcome back two of his big centre-backs for the tie against Wimbledon.
Martin Skrtel will be available for selection after serving his suspension, while Dejan Lovren is also expected to make it in time for the match after returning to training following a groin injury, which has kept him out of action for the past few weeks.
Rodgers will hope Skrtel and Lovren can provide Liverpool more defensive stability after another forgettable performance against the Foxes. "We probably got what we deserved in the end," said Rodgers after the 2-2 draw on New Year's Day. "I don't think we played well, in all honesty, and I thought Leicester played very well.
"We found ourselves 2-0 up -- they were two great penalties by Stevie, who showed great composure. That should be enough then to go and play the game, but we just made too many mistakes."
The Liverpool manager also has concerns over midfielder Adam Lallana, who has sparkled for the team in recent matches, while Mario Balotelli remains a doubt after missing the last game. Lallana had to be taken off in the match against Leicester with a thigh problem, with the midfielder's enforced withdrawal followed by Leicester's fightback.
"He's got a tweak in his thigh, so we'll see how that is," added Rodgers.
