Liverpool enter their Premier League match with Stoke City on Saturday in the midst of their worst run of form since Brendan Rodgers was appointed manager.
The Reds have lost four out of their last five games in all competitions and their last three in the top flight to drop to 12th in the table - 16 points adrift of Chelsea.
Confidence in the camp was dealt another blow on Wednesday as they conceded an 87th-minute equaliser in Bulgaria to draw 2-2 with Ludogorets Razgrad.
The result left them facing a nervy Champions League showdown with Swiss side Basel at Anfield in a fortnight's time to decide whether they reach the last 16.
But a turnaround in domestic fortunes is badly needed if they are to ensure that their highly-anticipated return to Europe's premier competition was not a one-season cameo.
Home fixtures against Stoke and Sunderland, separated by a trip to struggling Leicester City, give Rodgers a good chance of getting some much-needed points, and former Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar believes that the Northern Irishman could be axed if those games go badly.
Grobbelaar, who won six league titles and 14 major trophies in total as a Red, has also been highly critical of the performances of Simon Mignolet between the sticks in the club's poor start to the season.
One silver lining among Liverpool's woes is the form of Rickie Lambert, who has scored his first Reds goals in consecutive starts afforded to him by injuries to Mario Balotelli and Daniel Sturridge.
The England international will continue to lead the line on Merseyside this weekend and could be joined in the XI by former Southampton teammate Adam Lallana, who assisted him in the 3-1 reverse to Crystal Palace.
Philippe Coutinho may also come into an attacking side which is unlikely to include either Lucas Leiva or Joe Allen, but Rodgers's biggest problems in recent weeks have been caused by a leaky defence.
Only five teams in the division have conceded more than Liverpool's 18, and £24m man Dejan Lovren could pay the price for that record with his place as Kolo Toure hopes to continue alongside Martin Skrtel.
Stoke are one place and one point above the hosts, but endured another disappointing afternoon at the Britannia Stadium last weekend as a sloppy start cost them a 2-1 defeat to newly-promoted Burnley.
Their three home losses is already more than they suffered throughout the entirety of last season, and so Mark Hughes may be relieved to get on the road again, having already picked up the scalps of champions Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur on their travels this campaign.
The Potters will be without Victor Moses, who has been ruled out for six weeks with a thigh injury. Mame Biram Diouf may be shifted to his wide role to accommodate Peter Crouch's recall against his old side.
Marc Wilson and Eric Pieters face late fitness tests, with Geoff Cameron and Marc Muniesa on standby to again deputise in defence. Peter Odemwingie, Robert Huth and Glenn Whelan are long-term absentees.
Liverpool loanee Oussama Assaidi has not started during his second Stoke spell and is ineligible to face his parent club, who have not lost to the Potters at Anfield in their 35 meetings since 1959.
Liverpool:
Form in Premier League: WWDLLL
Form in all competitions: WLLLLD
Possible starting lineup: Mignolet; Johnson, Skrtel, Toure, Moreno; Gerrard; Henderson, Allen; Lallana; Sterling, Lambert
Stoke:
Form in Premier League: LWLDWL
Form in all competitions: WLLDWL
Possible starting lineup: Begovic; Bardsley, Shawcross, Wilson, Muniesa; Sidwell, N'Zonzi; Walters, Bojan, Diouf; Crouch
Sports Mole says: 2-1
Joe Fish
