Exeter City vs Liverpool. The FA Cup Third Round.
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Friday 8 January 2016 19:37, UK
Liverpool's growing injury crisis means they are expected to field a much-changed side away to Sky Bet League 2 outfit Exeter in Friday night's FA Cup third-round tie.
Jurgen Klopp's squad are set to travel south to City's 8,541-capacity St James Park ground with no fit senior centre-back as, with matches coming up against Arsenal and Manchester United, Kolo Toure is unlikely to be risked after suffering with cramp in the midweek Capital One Cup win at Stoke.
Jon Flanagan could feature in the squad after two 45-minute appearances for the Under-21s following 18 months out with a knee problem, but playmaker Philippe Coutinho and defender Dejan Lovren are out with hamstring problems while centre-back Mamadou Sakho has not recovered from a minor knock.
Exeter boss Paul Tisdale insists he is not reading too much into the Grecians' recent poor form, after four league defeats in a row.
"I'd rather have been winning games going into the match, but I happen to think that we have been playing pretty well," Tisdale said.
"Although we have lost games, I don't think we have looked like a side that has suddenly lost our energy and our purpose.
"On the contrary, I think we have gained some, but unfortunately it hasn't manifested itself in any results.
"I'd rather have won the last four games than have lost the last four, but this is a break from the league.
"We have nothing to lose and we shouldn't be hindered by any stress or any worries."
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The Reds won the only previous FA Cup meeting between these two, winning 3-1 at Anfield in a fourth-round tie in January 1950.
Exeter have not reached the FA Cup fourth round since overcoming Maidstone United 4-2 in January 1981, losing seven ties since.
The Grecians have beaten top-flight opposition three times in 31 attempts in the FA Cup, most recently in a fourth-round replay over Leicester in 1981.
Liverpool have never lost to a fourth-tier side in 13 games in the FA Cup (W11 D2), winning all of their seven away ties.