Brendan Rodgers makes four changes to his Liverpool starting XI for the Reds' crucial Champions League encounter with FC Basel at Anfield tonight.

The manager restores captain Steven Gerrard to the team in place of Adam Lallana, while Joe Allen also comes into the midfield to take Philippe Coutinho's place.

Rodgers opts for two changes to the defence that kept Sunderland at bay in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday. Dejan Lovren is in for Kolo Toure, who has a groin injury, while Jose Enrique comes in for compatriot Alberto Moreno.

Rickie Lambert will spearhead the team's attack in a game that they simply must win in order to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition.

Elsewhere for the home side, French defender Mamadou Sakho takes his place on a strong substitutes' bench for the clash against Paulo Sousa's reigning Swiss champions.

Liverpool's XI: Mignolet, Johnson, Enrique, Lovren, Skrtel, Lucas, Allen, Henderson, Gerrard, Sterling, Lambert.

Substitutes: Jones, Sakho, Moreno, Can, Lallana, Coutinho, Markovic.

[SLIDESHOW]