Dalglish names rookie Spearing for Merseyside derby

Kenny Dalglish has sprung a surprise for his Anfield return as Liverpool manager in the 215th Merseyside derby by naming Jay Spearing in the starting line-up.

The 22-year-old midfielder has been out for more than two months with a broken ankle but after a 90-minute run-out for the reserves on Tuesday – watched by Dalglish – he earns an instant recall.

Wirral-born Spearing is one of two changes from Wednesday’s defeat at Blackpool with Maxi Rodriguez coming in as Christian Poulsen and Milan Jovanovic are not even included in the squad.

The Reds go into a Merseyside derby without Scousers Steven Gerrard (suspended) and Jamie Carragher (injured) for the first time since February 2002.

Everton manager David Moyes, who has not won at Anfield in eight previous attempts, has left Steven Pienaar out of his squad after the club accepted a bid from an unnamed club for the midfielder.

He has made three changes from last weekend’s FA Cup trouncing of Scunthorpe, with Mikel Arteta, Phil Neville and Victor Anichebe replacing Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, Tony Hibbert and Louis Saha – the Frenchman not making the squad at all.

Liverpool v Everton Liverpool: Reina, Kelly, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson, Meireles, Spearing, Lucas, Kuyt, Torres, Maxi.

Subs: Gulacsi, Aurelio, Cole, Pacheco, Kyrgiakos, Babel, Shelvey.

Everton: Howard, Neville, Heitinga, Distin, Baines, Coleman, Fellaini, Arteta, Osman, Beckford, Anichebe.

Subs: Mucha, Hibbert, Bilyaletdinov, Vaughan, Gueye, Rodwell, Baxter.

Referee: Phil Dowd.