Poyet: Anfield will test players

Gus Poyet believes Sunday's FA Cup clash with Liverpool will give him a good indication of how his players cope with the big stage.

Last Updated: 18/02/12 at 13:49 Post Comment    Bet with SkyBet  FA Cup. Click here to bet.

Poyet: Excited for Liverpool clash

Poyet: Excited for Liverpool clash

The Seagulls travel to Anfield for their fifth-round tie as reward for brushing aside Premier League high-fliers Newcastle at the Amex Stadium last month.

Poyet's side have already crossed paths with Kenny Dalglish's side this term, exiting the Carling Cup after a 2-1 defeat in September.

This time his team are unbeaten in seven npower Championship matches and Poyet sees the game as the perfect opportunity to see which of his players are capable of performing on the big stage.

"It will be interesting to see which players show that they can perform against Premier League players so it will be a good game for me too keep checking the progress of my squad," the Uruguayan told the club's official website.

"If we were to go up within the next few years this fixture will help me realise which players can perform in the top division.

"We will play our own game and not change at all and we'll have to see where that gets us. On Tuesday night against Millwall we were satisfied with the point (in a 2-2 draw) after the game because we were awful."

Although Liverpool are pushing for a European place in the Premier League and are at home, Poyet is determined not to change his side's approach.

"This is a great opportunity for us, a great moment for the players and we are not going to try nothing different, we are going to be ourselves and see the outcome," he added.

"We will try to be a proper team, try to be organised, try to play our football and see what happens. They are the favourites, they are the better team, they are stronger and they have international players, but in football you never know.

"We are going to play, we have nothing to lose, but that doesn't mean we are going to go there and be a joke. We are going to try and be ourselves, the result is unpredictable."

Liverpool-born pair Craig Noone and Alan Navarro are both expected to be included in Brighton's travelling party.

But Poyet insists sentiment will not enter his head as he selects a team capable of beating Liverpool.

"I know we have some big Liverpool fans in the squad, but that will not play a part in my selection because we take every game seriously," he said.

"The idea is to go there and perform well and create something unique, which would be a win.

"The selection will be made on the form of the players and the way we want to play the game against a top Premier League side."

Brighton are confident Will Buckley will be fully fit for the trip, but have concerns over the fitness of former Spain winger Vicente Rodriguez.

However, Poyet's squad will be without Gary Dicker, who is sidelined with a fractured fibula, while defender Tommy Elphick has an Achilles injury and midfielder Matt Sparrow completes his three-match suspension.

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