Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina faces a fitness test on a minor hamstring problem.
Forward Fabio Borini is out for three months with a broken foot, but midfielder Jonjo Shelvey returns from suspension.
Reading striker Noel Hunt is a doubt for the trip to Merseyside with a heel problem.
But Royals midfielder Mikele Leigertwood has been passed fit after recovering from a dead leg.
MATCH PREVIEW
At last Liverpool families are seeing some signs of real justice for the Hillsborough victims. New inquests into the 96 deaths may return narrative verdicts recording that some of the terrible fatalities could have been avoided if mistakes hadn't been made.
It's been too long coming.
This week's announcement that the club will be staying at Anfield as part of the council's £175m regeneration of the local area also ends years of confusing round-the-houses debate about a new ground.
The club now seems to be moving forward on definite lines off the pitch. That hasn't been the case for far too long.
Now the players need to turn the corner with a first home league win for Brendan Rodgers against his old club. His Reading playing career was ended by injury at just 20. But he took his first coaching steps with the Royals and was overjoyed to go back as manager in 2009. It wasn't a happy homecoming. He'll feel there's unfinished business and he needs a win.
Critics of the affable and gifted young manager have been quick to plot a course of doom and gloom. But with a bit of luck Liverpool could have actually beaten the two Manchester clubs and Arsenal. In that case the plaudits would have been rich and the hype giddy.
Reality lies between the two extremes. Liverpool are steadily adopting Rodgers's style, but more improvement is required.
A lack of striking options would be ominous against higher opposition, but Reading haven't kept a clean sheet so far and they'll be hard pressed to repeat the glorious 2010 FA Cup win at Anfield.
Still, they look full of goals. Pavel Pogrebnyak isn't in the Russian side right now. He's had time to prepare for this one having played a big role in Fulham's 1-0 win at Liverpool last May.
But, while he'll be key for the visitors, they lack anyone in the class of Gerrard and Suarez. Providing World Cup travel hasn't left them jaded, they'll have too much for Brian McDermott's men.
