Intro:

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers looks ahead to his side's Premier League match against Manchester City.

Script:

SOUNDBITE (English) Brendan Rodgers, Liverpool coach: (on returning late from Europa League action in Turkey on Thursday)

"Well I think that the players that we had available were nearly all involved the other night, so... but of course, it was always going to be difficult in terms of the preparation. You don't need to be a sports scientist to work out that if you arrive back at 04:30 on Friday morning and then you've got a game early on Sunday, that physically there's going to be a cost, but mentally, the players are in a good state, we are looking forward to the game, of course, we're disappointed not to have won the other night and go through, but the bigger picture for us is the Premier League and the FA Cup, (they) were our priorities, so for us that is still the case.

"There's no getting away from it. (City are) A top class side with very good players. Obviously in my time here, we've had some very good games with them, but we're hoping that we can take the confidence that we have had in recent months into this game and with the quality of the payers that we have, get a good result."