The juggling act starts for Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool on Thursday evening as they play host to Besiktas in the first leg of the Europa League's round of 32.

The Reds started this season in the Champions League, but a third-placed finish behind Real Madrid and Basel in the group stages resulted in Rodgers's men being demoted to Europe's second competition.

Now, as his side battles to seal a return to the Champions League next term, Rodgers will have to find the right balance between ties on a Thursday night and Premier League matches on a Sunday afternoon.

Those circumstances could result in some alterations being made to the starting lineup ahead of the trip to Southampton at the weekend.

Mario Balotelli, Dejan Lovren and Glen Johnson have been tipped to earn recalls, but Steven Gerrard, Raheem Sterling and Lucas are all carrying knocks and may well not be risked.

Lazar Markovic will also play no part at Anfield because of a suspension, which he has been handed as a result of the red card that he received last time out in Europe against Basel.

Meanwhile, the visiting Turks will be without senior goalkeeper Tolga Zengin because of a knee injury, but Demba Ba is fit and available to lead the attack.

On Ba's previous visit to Merseyside last April, the Senegalese frontman benefited from a Gerrard slip to score for Chelsea, who ran out 2-0 victors. It was a result that went a long way to ending Liverpool's hopes of securing a first league title since 1990.

His current employers, though, did not have such good luck during their last trip to Anfield in 2007. The two sides met in the group stages of the Champions League, with Rafael Benitez's Liverpool running out 8-0 winners. It's a scoreline that remains Besiktas's heaviest European defeat.

In total, Liverpool have met Turkish opposition on 10 occasions, winning five times and drawing twice.

Liverpool:

Form in Europa League: WLDWLW
Form in all competitions: LWWDWW

Possible starting lineup: Mignolet; Lovren, Skrtel, Sakho; Johnson, Moreno, Henderson, Can; Ibe, Balotelli, Sturridge

Besiktas:

Form in Europa League: DDWWDW
Form in all competitions: WWDWLW

Possible starting lineup: Gonen; Kurtulus, Ramon, Franco, Nukan; Hutchinson, Kavlak, Sosa, Sahan; Tore, Ba

Sports Mole says: 2-0

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