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| Kolo Toure and Yaya Toure |
Sterling featured in Man City's League Cup victory over the Reds on Sunday and returns to Anfield on Wednesday night for the first time since his summer transfer from the Merseyside club.
But Pellegrini insists Sterling has the wherewithal to handle the occasion, which is likely to be lively as Liverpool seek to avenge their penalty shoot-out defeat by attempting to derail City's BPL title bid.
"I don't know what the starting XI will be yet, but one player who I'm sure will start is Raheem Sterling," Pellegrini told mcfc.co.uk. "He's a young man, a young player starting his career, but he knows how to deal with pressure.
"He'll receive the same treatment tomorrow as he did at the weekend, but I'm sure he can play without a problem, and he'll be a very important player, as he was in last game.
"I don't have any doubts about him, it's important for him to play under pressure; that's what big players do."
City are aiming to avoid three consecutive league defeats for the first time since 2008 after suffering home losses to title rivalsLeicester City and Tottenham Hotspur.
Those setbacks have left the Citizens, beaten 4-1 by Liverpool a home in November, nine points adrift of leaders Leicester, albeit with a match in hand.
But Pellegrini insists his side remain well in the title race.
"I am happy to have won a title in February. It is important for the trust of the team in the way we are working," he said.
"We are not going to give up on the Premier League - we have to play for another 36 points - and we have made a huge step in the Champions League. To win the title, we have to have a lot of trust."
The scorer of City's decisive penalty on Sunday, Yaya Toure, is a doubt for with a foot injury, while Kevin De Bruyne (knee), Fabian Delph (Achilles) and Samir Nasri (hamstring) are all still sidelined.
While City's match-winner is uncertain to feature, one of Liverpool's unsuccessful penalty takers at Wembley looks set to be sidelined for some time after picking up a muscle problem.
Lucas Leiva sustained the injury while striking a penalty that was one of three saved by Willy Caballero in the shootout.
The Brazilian midfielder gave a convincing performance as an emergency centre-back but his absence leaves Klopp with something of a defensive quandary ahead of Wednesday's re-match.
"We have to wait for a few things, but it doesn't look too good with Lucas – he will not be available," Klopp told liverpoolfc.com. "He had problems with a muscle when he shot the penalty, so I think he is not available. We have to wait, but I don't think so."
Klopp is awaiting news on the extent of the head injury Mamadou Sakho suffered in the accidental aerial clash with Emre Can that forced him from the field in the first half of the final, while Martin Skrtel and Joe Allen (both hamstring) remain out and Dejan Lovren (illness) is still doubtful.
"We don't want to go and risk tomorrow, but who is available is available and then we have to make the choice," said Klopp. "I know it's a very important game for them and it's a very important game for us, so it's not that the game is not too important, it's about thinking, 'Can I bring in another [player] that is 100 per cent fit?'."
Liverpool (from): Bogdan, Mignolet, Caulker, Clyne, Jose Enrique, Flanagan, Ilori, Moreno, Sakho, Toure, Allen, Can, Coutinho, Henderson, Ibe, Lallana, Milner, Rossiter, Teixeira, Benteke, Firmino, Origi, Sturridge.
Manchester City (from): Caballero, Hart, Wright, Clichy, Demichelis, Kolarov, Kompany, Mangala, Otamendi, Sagna, Zabaleta, Fernandinho, Fernando, Navas, Silva, Toure, A Garcia, M Garcia, Aguero, Bony, Iheanacho, Sterling, Celina.
Match Appointments
Referee: Martin Atkinson Assistants: M Mullarkey, S Child Fourth Official: C Pawson
Match Facts
- Following a run of just one win in 10 Barclays Premier League matches against Manchester City (W1 D6 L3), Liverpool have won three of the last four league meetings between the two sides (L1).
- Man City have won none of their last 12 top-flight trips to Anfield (W0 D4 L8).
- Philippe Coutinho has scored in five of his six appearances against Man City, including in the League Cup final on Sunday.
- There have been 34 goals scored in the last nine meetings between the sides across all competitions (3.8 per match), and neither team has kept a clean sheet in that run.
By SuperSports
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