Wanderers are bracing themselves for a full-scale onslaught from the Liverpool attack.

Despite confidence building clean sheets against Leicester and Middlesbrough, Gudni Bergsson and Co know their defensive qualities will be tested to the limit by Gerard Houllier's in-form, all-England attack.

Whatever combination they opt for from the international trio of Michael Owen, Emile Heskey and Robbie Fowler, Liverpool possess one of the most feared strikeforces in the Premiership and no-one at the Reebok tonight will be under-estimating the size of the task they face.

Liverpool have already added the Charity Shield and European Super Cup to last season's treble as well as qualifying for the Champions League - a hectic start Sam Allardyce believes will have a major bearing on Houllier's game plan.

"The worry for Gerard will be that thay played on Friday night," the Wanderers boss said, assessing the possibilities after the Reds' impressive 3-2 victory over Bayern Munich in the Super Cup.

"So he will probably go with his fittest team ... or he may go straight for the jugular and try to get as many goals as he can then make substitutions to rest his players.

"Our job is to make sure they don't score a goal!"

The fact that Jussi Jasskelainen has not had a difficult save to make ("He's had bugger all to do!" the manager says bluntly) is a testimony to the defensive qualities that laid the foundation at Leicester and was seen in all its glory against Middlesbrough. But Wanderers know Liverpool will be a much tougher prospect.

"Liverpool have quality all over the place and we're going to have to be at our best," Gudni Bergsson admitted, singling out Owen as the main threat.

"We know all about his qualities and his fitness and we know we've got to test ourselves against them.

"I respect what he has achieved at such a young age. He's shown great determination and, although he's had his critics, he's bounced back in top form."