Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has insisted that he will speak to his players about the possibility of racist abuse in Russia during tonight's Europa League match against Zenit St Petersburg.
The club's managing director Ian Ayre claimed this week that the club had written to UEFA and Zenit expressing concerns of racist abuse.
"I will make reference to it because we have players it could affect but we are here for football," BBC Sport quotes Rodgers as saying. "We are very hopeful there will be a terrific game and anything that goes on outside the field will be taken care of.
"You go into the sporting arena and hopefully everyone from football, UEFA, referees and officials will support any player it may affect.
"There is no doubt if there is anything like that which is untoward, then us as a group we will do everything we can to support the player or players. We hope it is a game where the officials and UEFA can take care of all that."
In December last year, a fan group wrote a letter to the Russian outfit urging the club to refrain from signing gay or black players.
Danielle Joynson
