Liverpool aiming to avoid worst losing run since 2009

Jurgen Klopp's crop entered the international break on the back of dampening 1-0 defeats, losing to Real Madrid and Bournemouth in the Champions League and Premier League respectively.

With defeat to Real sealing a 6-2 aggregate exit from the last-16 stage of the Champions League, Liverpool only have the top-four scrap to focus on during the business end of a troubled season.

However, a slice of unwanted history is on the line should Liverpool come up short at Man City, as they could suffer three successive losses without scoring for the first time since October 2009.

Under the tutelage of Rafael Benitez, Liverpool went down 2-0 to Fiorentina in the Champions League before a pair of 2-0 and 1-0 losses to Chelsea and Sunderland domestically.

The Reds suffered a fourth consecutive loss in that sequence at home to Lyon in the Champions League, but a Yossi Benayoun strike snapped their goalless streak in a 2-1 defeat.

Furthermore, Liverpool's away-day deficiencies this season have been well-documented, as the Reds have just three Premier League wins on the road to boast about all season.

Only Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Newcastle United have been put to the sword on their own patch by Liverpool, who have failed to score in four of their last five Premier League matches on the road.

Nevertheless, Klopp's side came up trumps against Man City back in October thanks to Mohamed Salah's winner, and not since the German's maiden campaign in 2015-16 have they done the double over the reigning Premier League champions.

Liverpool have been handed a timely injury boost ahead of a reunion with their Manchester counterparts, as Darwin Nunez is in contention to feature after recovering from a foot injury.

However, the game will come too soon for Luis Diaz, who is slowly working his way back from knee surgery and is being integrated back into parts of team training.

Thiago Alcantara, Calvin Ramsay and Stefan Bajcetic remain on the sidelines alongside Diaz, but Joe Gomez has also recovered from a muscular issue to return to the squad.

Four places and 19 points separate Man City and Liverpool in the table ahead of Saturday's showdown, with Klopp's side languishing in sixth place with 42 points from 26 games this term.

Liverpool sit seven points behind Tottenham Hotspur - who occupy the final Champions League spot - with two games in hand, but Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford have also accumulated 42 points and could threaten the Reds' place in the top six this weekend.