Boro qualified for the UEFA Cup last season after they finished seventh just pipping Manchester City on the final day after Reds legend Robbie Fowler missed a last minute penalty.
Bolo Zenden is hoping to shake off a thigh injury so he can return to a club where he won the Middlesbrough supporters player of the season award last term.
Despite the loss of Zenden McClaren has improved his strikeforce with the aquisition of Yakubu from Portsmouth. Yakubu has been partnering Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink in pre-season with Mark Viduka a substitute. They certainly have plenty of goals about them while at the back the ever safe Gareth Southgate had a great 2004/05 season.
Last season Liverpool lost 2-0 at the Riverside but it was in controversial circumstances. Luis Garcia had a goal wrongly disallowed for off-side before Zenden scored in the second half against his future club to make it 2-0 and game over.
For Liverpool's last victory in Teeside you have to go back to March 2002 and a 2-1 victory courtesy of goals from Emile Heskey and John Arne Riise, and Nicolas Anelka was man of the match.
Yakubu is set to make his competitive debut for Middlesbrough but Mark Viduka (back and hamstring) and Gaizka Mendieta (knee) are in contention.
Ugo Ehiogu should shake off a groin injury, but Chris Riggott (knee) and Stuart Parnaby (knee) are both out.
Liverpool hope to have Bolo Zenden back to face his former club after having treatment for a thigh strain.
Josemi (thigh), Peter Crouch (hamstring), Djimi Traore (Thigh) and Jerzy Dudek (dislocated elbow) are out along with Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Neil Mellor.
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Liverpool (from): Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Warnock, Zenden, Luis Garcia, Hamann, Gerrard, Alonso, Riise, Sissoko, Carson, Baros, Whitbread, Morientes, Cisse, Potter, Barragan.
Middlesbrough (from): Schwarzer, Jones, Reiziger, Queudrue, Southgate, Ehiogu, Riggott, Bates, Boateng, Parlour, Downing, Doriva, Mendieta, Morrison, Hasselbaink, Yakubu, Viduka, Nemeth, Maccarone.
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I personally can't wait for our season to kick off! Hopefully we will get off to a winning start as we have not won at boro for a while! These are the kind of games that Liverpool always struggle against and lose points on. Also, last season, we also developed a habit of losing away. I am confident that if we rectify this then we will have a fighting chance for second place.
I think our line-up will be-
..................Reina
Finnan...Hyypia...Carra...Riise
Garcia...Alonso...Gerrard..Zenden
............Nando...Cisse
I think the line-up will be very interesting. Will we start Baros due to the fact that he can't be cup-tied for playing in the premiership? Will we rest gerrard or alonso for a sissoko or hamann? will zenden score against his old club?
so many qusetions to be answered today! and i can't wait!!!!
C'mon rafa! Give us a start to the premiership worthy of european champions!!!!!
