Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp wants his side to be the big beneficiaries of the recent cold snap when they travel to Anfield to face a Liverpool side without Fernando Torres or Steven Gerrard.
Spurs were due to face their rivals for a Champions League place earlier in the month but the match was postponed due to snow, with Gerrard and Torres then suffering injuries in the FA Cup defeat to Reading.
Redknapp's own options have been bolstered by the return of Jamie O'Hara as the Premier League's transfer embargo for Portsmouth meant the midfielder could not re-register on loan at Fratton Park.
"I'd be lying if I stood here and said that the absence of Gerrard and Torres won't matter," said Redknapp, ahead of the Wednesday evening fixture.
"Of course, they are two world-class players, and they will miss them.
"But they have a strong squad. I have never been there and had an easy game. It is a difficult place to go."
Rafael Benitez will also be without Yossi Benayoun, a player Redknapp has worked with before and rates highly.
Another creative player to miss the game is Aaron Lennon and the Spurs winger is struggling to face his former club Leeds in the FA Cup at the weekend.
Better news for Redknapp are the scan results on Ledley King's knee after the centre-back missed the draw against Hull at the weekend.
"He had another scan on his sore knee, but the scan showed up OK," Redknapp said.
Spurs have kept six clean sheets in a row but could not find a way past Hull's Boaz Myhill on Saturday, with Redknapp now needing to decide whether to recall striker Peter Crouch to face his former club.
Crouch came off the bench for Robbie Keane against Hull.
Redknapp said: "It is a good run we're in, so let's hope we can keep it going at Liverpool. It will be a different game there.
"When Crouch came on against Hull, and not being disrespectful to Robbie, we suddenly looked [more dangerous].
"They put so many bodies in there and it was hard to play through them. When Crouch came on we could miss them out and drop balls up to him and he won headers and we were getting shots on goal."
Spurs were due to face their rivals for a Champions League place earlier in the month but the match was postponed due to snow, with Gerrard and Torres then suffering injuries in the FA Cup defeat to Reading.
Redknapp's own options have been bolstered by the return of Jamie O'Hara as the Premier League's transfer embargo for Portsmouth meant the midfielder could not re-register on loan at Fratton Park.
"I'd be lying if I stood here and said that the absence of Gerrard and Torres won't matter," said Redknapp, ahead of the Wednesday evening fixture.
"Of course, they are two world-class players, and they will miss them.
"But they have a strong squad. I have never been there and had an easy game. It is a difficult place to go."
Rafael Benitez will also be without Yossi Benayoun, a player Redknapp has worked with before and rates highly.
Another creative player to miss the game is Aaron Lennon and the Spurs winger is struggling to face his former club Leeds in the FA Cup at the weekend.
Better news for Redknapp are the scan results on Ledley King's knee after the centre-back missed the draw against Hull at the weekend.
"He had another scan on his sore knee, but the scan showed up OK," Redknapp said.
Spurs have kept six clean sheets in a row but could not find a way past Hull's Boaz Myhill on Saturday, with Redknapp now needing to decide whether to recall striker Peter Crouch to face his former club.
Crouch came off the bench for Robbie Keane against Hull.
Redknapp said: "It is a good run we're in, so let's hope we can keep it going at Liverpool. It will be a different game there.
"When Crouch came on against Hull, and not being disrespectful to Robbie, we suddenly looked [more dangerous].
"They put so many bodies in there and it was hard to play through them. When Crouch came on we could miss them out and drop balls up to him and he won headers and we were getting shots on goal."
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