Liverpool make the trip to Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday night for their FA Cup quarter-final replay after the two sides played out a goalless draw at Anfield last month.

The winner of the tie, which will go to extra time and penalties if necessary, meets Aston Villa in the last four at Wembley Stadium on April 19.

Blackburn Rovers

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Rovers come into the match having seen their hopes of securing a Championship playoff spot fade in recent weeks.

Gary Bowyer's side have lost two of their last three games in the league, though they made a return to winning ways on the weekend thanks to an emphatic 3-0 victory away to Leeds United.

Floating around mid-table in the Championship, the Lancashire outfit will need a big slice of luck if they are to challenge for the top six during the final few weeks of the campaign.

Bowyer will be aware that promotion is now unlikely for his side, but an appearance at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-finals could provide them with an exciting end to the season.

Jordan Rhodes will be expected to lead the Rovers attack against Liverpool after scoring his 17th goal of the season against Leeds. However, the Scotland international's future at Ewood Park remains unclear as a number of Premier League sides are reportedly keen on his services.

Rovers have won the FA Cup an impressive six times, though their last triumph came back in 1928 when they defeated Huddersfield Town 3-1. The last piece of silverware that the club won came in 2001 as they lifted the League Cup.

Recent form: WWWD
Recent form (all competitions): DWWLWW

Liverpool

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It has been a rough couple of weeks for Liverpool, both on and off the pitch.

Consecutive defeats to Manchester United and Arsenal have seen their aspirations of a top-four finish in the Premier League suffer a damaging blow, while the contract saga surrounding Raheem Sterling has brought unnecessary attention to the club's off-field dealings.

Their confidence will have been particularly dented after being thrashed 4-1 by Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday. Brendan Rodgers's men conceded three goals in the first half as they were brushed aside by the in-form Gunners.

Further reports have suggested that Rodgers is facing unrest in the dressing room at Anfield, with the manager apparently calling an emergency meeting with his players on Sunday.

However, despite dropping further away from the Champions League places, vice-captain Jordan Henderson has insisted that the Merseysiders are still capable of ending their season inside the top four.

Before their recent drop in form, Liverpool were flying high thanks to 12 victories from 17 games in all competitions. With their campaign having taken a turn for the worse over the past fortnight, the FA Cup now looks to have taken on added importance.

Their history in the competition speaks for itself, with the team lifting the trophy seven times down the years. The last time that they went all the way was in 2006 when Steven Gerrard inspired them to beat West Ham United on penalties.

Recent form: WDWWD
Recent form (all competitions): WWDWLL

Team News

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Liverpool will have to make do without Gerrard, Martin Skrtel and Emre Can, who are all suspended for the match.

It remains to be seen whether Sterling gets the nod from Rodgers, though it would not be a surprise if the youngster is rested ahead of must-win league games against Newcastle United, Hull City and West Bromwich Albion.

Elsewhere, Mario Balotelli is expected to miss out with a knee problem, but Daniel Sturridge is likely to be in contention after starting on the bench at the Emirates Stadium.

Blackburn are currently facing an injury crisis, with Rudy Gestede, Chris Brown, Simon Eastwood and Chris Taylor all struggling for fitness. Craig Conway, Grant Hanley, Josh King and David Dunn are also sidelined.

Former Liverpool midfielder Jay Spearing is cup-tied, while Paul Taylor, David Raya and John O'Sullivan are also ineligible.

Blackburn possible starting lineup:
Steele; Henley, Baptiste, Kilgallon, Olsson; Cairney, Evans, Williamson, Marshall; Rhodes, Gestede

Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Mignolet; Johnson, Toure, Sakho; Allen, Lucas, Moreno, Henderson; Coutinho, Sturridge, Sterling

Head To Head

Liverpool have been the dominant side in this fixture in recent years, winning three of their last six encounter with Rovers.

Blackburn's last victory over the Reds came back in January 2011 when they earned a 3-1 win at Ewood Park in the Premier League thanks to two goals from Benjani.

Even though the teams played out a 0-0 draw last time out, this game has provided plenty of goals in recent seasons. In total, the ball has hit the net on 17 occasions during the previous six matches.

We say: Blackburn 1-2 Liverpool

This season's FA Cup has produced plenty of shocks, but this could prove a step too far for Blackburn. While there have been questions over Liverpool's mettle, the Merseysiders are still the favourites to go on and book their place in the semi-finals at Wembley. We are expecting it to be a closely-fought affair, though the visitors' extra quality should see them through.

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