Back down to Earth for Liverpool, as they travel to the West Midlands to face 19th-place Wolverhampton. It's a stark contrast from the action of the past week, facing opposition at the bottom of the table, away from Anfield, and with nothing immediately at stake. And if you've paid attention to Liverpool at all this season, it's cause for concern, with form against the mid- and lower-table sides worlds apart from the displays we've seen the last two times out.

There's nothing like coming home! Just ask Lucas Leiva, who showed up to his first day of recuperation at Liverpool's Melwood training ground yesterday after spending six weeks back home in Brasil. The midfielder received a warm welcome from the club's staff and of course teammates Dirk Kuyt and Pepe Reina were also around to show their support.

The prevailing view amongst Liverpool fans seems to be that the defeat against Bolton yesterday could've been avoided if Lucas Leiva was playing. I don't personally subscribe to that viewpoint; for me, shambolic defending was the problem, and that still would've happened even if Lucas had played.

Liverpool get back in the swing of things to see out a busy January, heading to the Reebok in hopes of getting three points for only the second time in six matches. As has mostly been the case in league over the past month and a half, they won't face an entirely overwhelming opposition, with Bolton only a point above Wigan in 19th.

Stoke City head to Anfield currently sitting alone in eighth and unbeaten in their last four. Tony Pulis' side has managed success both domestically and in Europe, as they'll accompany the two Manchester sides in the first knockout round of the Europa League early next month. Liverpool will hope to continue their relative hot streak at home, during which they've scored eight goals in their last two matches at Anfield and finally found a way to finish chances.

Luis Suarez and Lucas Leiva couldn't take part in Liverpool's hard-fought victory Carling Cup over Manchester City at the Etihad stadium last night, but both players watched the game, and were full of praise for the efforts of their team-mates. Prior to the game, Suarez - who is currently serving an 8-match ban - sent his best wishes to the team via twitter:"All the luck in the world for my

For the third time in two months, Liverpool and Manchester City square off, this time in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final. Liverpool's trip to the Eastlands last week ended with the visitors on the wrong end of a 0-3 result that saw City concede most of the possession but take the chances they managed to create.

Oldham have recently updated their badge, what do you think? Wise decision? Hahaha... Owl? Wise?... Ohh nevermind!...Ahh, the magic of the FA Cup. 6 years now since the last time we got our hands on it, feels longer doesn't it? Well Liverpool have Oldham standing in their way at the moment and if they have any aspirations of reaching the final, they will need to deal with Paul Dickov's side first.

Liverpool welcome Newcastle to Anfield in 2011's final match, with both squads barely on the outside looking in at the European places. Tomorrow's guests rode a hot start to the season to the top three, going unbeaten in their first eleven matches and surprising everyone after expectations were low entering the campaign.

By Amy Eustace

"People just don't know how good Lucas is," prophesised Rafael Benitez, three years ago to the month. It was December 2008, and Liverpool had found themselves in a somewhat unfamiliar position by recent standards. Top of the table, ahead of the pack and with just one defeat for the first half of the season away to Spurs, the only problem was a smattering of frustrating draws.

Liverpool's brief road swing continues (and wraps up) tomorrow night in Wigan, with the Reds looking to continue a bounce-back after the Fulham loss that's seen them win their last two fairly comfortably despite relatively narrow score lines. Wigan will be in a similar spot after getting points in four of their last five, including an away win at the Hawthorns after faltering badly at home to Arsenal, and, in their last outing, saving a late draw against Chelsea at the DW on Saturday.

European Cup winning Liverpool captain Phil Thompson is a big fan of (currently suspended) midfielder Jay Spearing, and he argues that the midfielder is a 'fantastic option' to replace the injured Lucas Leiva. There has been lots of speculation recently about whether Liverpool should buy someone in January to replace Lucas, but Thommo insists that the club should save its money and rely on

Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva suffered a cruciate ligament injury during the recent Carling Cup victory over Chelsea, and Liverpool fans will be pleased to know that he's already undergone surgery in his bid to recover as quickly as possible.
Lucas underwent surgery last night, and the Brazilian confirmed that everything went well:
"The surgery was successful!

Lucas' absence and Liverpool's subsequent change in formation altered the position of two of Liverpool's key players against Fulham: whoever the holding midfielder is and Luis Suarez.
Jay Spearing often played further up the pitch than Lucas usually defends, while far more static in general.

Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva is (sadly) out for injured for the rest of the season, and there are several candidates in the frame to cover for him, including Jay Spearing, Jordan Henderson and Jonjo Shelvey. Craig Bellamy has played alongside all three (either in training or on the field), and he reserved special praise for one of the three youngsters.

Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva will miss the rest of the season through injury, and there have been suggestions that the club will have to buy someone in January as direct cover for the Brazilian. However, according to Kenny Dalglish, spending money on a Lucas replacement is not a realistic option.

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes that injured midfielder Lucas Leiva is the 'equal' of Luis Suarez when it comes to impact on the team, but who is the more important player overall?
Carra, who has just come back from injury himself, argued:
"For the last 18 months, in my opinion, he has been our best player.

Finally confirmed out for the season after a day filled with rumors, it's incredibly hard to forecast what Liverpool will do without Lucas. He's missed just three of Dalglish's 39 matches: rested for two, suspended for one. Since 2009, he's missed so few games that it's statistically irrelevant posting win-loss percentages with and without the player: he appeared in 34 of 38 league games in '10-11 and 35 of 38 in '09-10.

As expected, Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva has been ruled out for the rest of the season through injury.
The club site released following statement a few minutes ago:
"A scan has confirmed an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in Lucas Leiva's left knee.

Lucas Leiva has been superb for Liverpool this season, but after his injury against Chelsea yesterday, it unfortunately looks like he may be out for quite a while. Liverpool will undoubtedly miss the Brazilian, but his absence presents a major opportunity for Jordan Henderson and/or Jay Spearing to stake their claim in the centre of midfield.

It's back to Stamford Bridge for Liverpool as they seek progression to the semifinals of the League Cup for the first time since 2005. The timing of the fixture makes it challenging for both sides for Liverpool, who've sent out strong squads in each of their three wins in the competition, it's cause for serious questions about who and what we'll see.

Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva was the clear man of the match against Manchester City on Sunday, and former Liverpool players are lining up to acknowledge his increasing influence on the team.
I wrote last week about how impressive Lucas's passing had become over the last couple of years, and against Man City it was more of the same: quick, incisive, positive passing, and it was a joy to watch.

There seems little point in doing a usual chalkboard review. I'd end up focusing on Lucas Leiva's marvelous performance, and you can just as easily head to the Guardian or Stats Zone app and see them for yourself. Each is a beautiful, unique snowflake worthy of admiration, and I recommend doing so.
I thought I'd display his statistics somewhat differently.

After the 1-1 draw at Anfield yesterday, Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini accused Liverpool players of getting Mario Balotelli sent off, and having examined the incident several times - and being completely objective - I have to agree with his view.
Mancini was clearly disappointed with the decision:
"It was not the correct decision.

Suarez battles with Lescott...
Liverpool had to settle for a 1-1 draw at Anfield on Sunday after fighting hard against a City side that began to tire as the 90 minutes went on. Joe Hart kept the away side in the game with minutes to spare after a great save to deny Andy Carroll. Both sides had a bit of luck but neither left victorious.

Liverpool: Lescott (og) 33′
Manchester City: Kompany 31′

Liverpool prove their mettle but were stifled by Manchester City and Joe Hart, as once again the hosts can't convert the chances that would have won them the match. This one's as much about Hart's impressive ability in goal as it is Liverpool's inability to find the net; both he and Pepe Reina kept their clubs in a match that was plenty entertaining.

Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva has been in fine form this season, and although he is not renowned for his attacking ability (!), the Brazilian admires and appreciates attacking play, and this was evident when he recently revealed his five favourite South American players.
Unsurprisingly, Lucas selected four Brazilians in his top five!

The league leaders visit Anfield tomorrow, unbeaten in their first twelve matches and having dropped only two points. It's been a blistering start domestically for Roberto Mancini's squad, which is packed with talent and has been nearly faultless in blowing by their opposition to this point.

After a day spent eating food with enough butter to kill Lil' Sebastian, my Thanksgiving celebration has finally ended. On the plus side it means my late afternoon hangover's gone, but on the downside it means dealing with the repercussions of a meal I spent ridiculing my wife's aunt. Overall it was a push, at least until I realized Liverpool players need have a good attitude and that means you, Andy Carroll.

Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva has polarised opinion ever since he arrived at Anfield, and he's often been on the receiving end of unwarranted criticism. One of the recurring criticisms levelled at the Brazilian is his lack of attacking impact in the final third of field, but club legend John Barnes insists that he should not be judged along those lines.

Liverpool's lack of mobility and pace in midfield has been cruelly exposed on several ocaisions this season, most notably against Spurs, Norwich and Swansea. However, against Chelsea last Sunday, there were no such problems, and former Liverpool defender Gary Gillespie believes that Kenny Dalglish has now come up with an effective strategy to address the the midfield mobility issue.

Liverpool 2: Maxi 33′, Johnson 87′
Chelsea 1: Sturridge 55′

Liverpool come away with a deserved win in a tense affair at Stamford Bridge, extending their winning streak over the London club to three. The sides traded spells of dominance, with Liverpool much better for the opening forty-five, and Chelsea maintaining the upper hand for most of the second.

Liverpool and Chelsea meet tomorrow in one of the more hotly-contested matchups of the past few years in English football, with both clubs on the front end of particularly important stretches of their respective seasons. Action off the pitch has added more spice to the fixture in the past calendar year, and the matches themselves have been fairly even Liverpool's done the double in league twice of the last three years, with Chelsea splitting it up and winning both matches two seasons ago.

Liverpool did the league double over Chelsea last season and Lucas Leiva was an integral part of the midfield machine that did a great job of helping the back four keep two clean sheets. Lucas is relishing the prospect of facing former players Raul Meireles and Fernando Torres at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, but he's acutely aware of the threat that they pose.

Former Liverpool right-back Steve Nicol has called on Stewart Downing, Lucas Leiva, Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam to raise their collective games over the next few weeks, arguing that their creative return so far this season has not been good enough.
Nicol acknowledged that Andy Carroll has flattered to deceive in front of goal, but he believes the profligacy of Liverpool's midfielders is a bigger problem:
"For me, the biggest problem is the midfield.

**This weekend's guest post comes to us from Paul, who's been posting as PDubz18 for awhile now. Written prior to the start of the international break (England v. Spain coming up, brace yourselves for poppy poppy poppy. Also, annihilation.), he discusses the system Liverpool's used so far, and how the personnel fit into the general approach utilized by Kenny Dalglish and his staff.

Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva is often accused of being too negative on the ball, but Anfield legend Gary Gillespie believes that there are signs that the Brazilian is becoming more 'adventurous' on the pitch, which can only be a good thing for Liverpool.
Gillespie, who won a shedload of trophies during his time as a player for Liverpool, argued:
"When he's in possession of the football these days, he's better with it.

Former Liverpool defender Gary Gillespie has added his voice to the growing chorus of dissent over Liverpool's stuttering performance against Swansea at the weekend, and believes that the lack of fluency in midfield played a big part in the team's inability to take charge of the game.
Gillespie, who was analysing the game for LFC TV, described the result as a 'massive disappointment', but was quick to praise the performances put in my Swansea's players:
"Lucas Leiva found it very difficult today, as did Charlie Adam, because they got outnumbered in the middle of the park.

Swansea visit Anfield in the last match before the break, looking to earn points away from home for just the second time this season. They find themselves in tenth on the strength of three home wins and two draws, but their only point on the road came via a 2-2 draw at Wolves. Liverpool will hoping to change things up as well after two consecutive 1-1 draws at Anfield prior to their win at the Hawthorns last weekend.

There has been a significant influx of new players at Anfield over the last year, and competition for places is as strong as ever. However, despite the competition, one thing stays the same, and that is the increasingly welcome presence of Lucas Leiva in Liverpool's midfield.
The Brazilian is happier these days, and takes great confidence from the fact that people seem to be finally acknowledging the qualities he brings to Liverpool:
"I am really enjoying the way I am playing.