MATT Derbyshire partners Roque Santa Cruz in attack for this afternoon's visit of Premier League title chasers Liverpool.

Goals in successive games against Portsmouth and Manchester United have catapulted the striker to the top of the Rovers' goal scoring charts and he will make only his fourth Premier League start.

Derbyshire replaces Benni McCarthy in the only change to the side who lost 3-2 at Fratton Park last weekend, as Paul Ince's look to end a run of four consecutive defeats.

Johann Vogel is a shock inclusion on the substitutes bench, featuring for the first time this campaign, as injuries to Jason Roberts and Martin Olsson leave Rovers again short on numbers.

ROVERS: Paul Robinson, Andre Ooijer, Stephen Warnock, Chris Samba, Tugay, Ryan Nelsen, Brett Emerton, Roque Santa Cruz, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Keith Andrews, Matt Derbyshire

SUBS: Jason Brown, Benni McCarthy, Johann Vogel, Carlos Villanueva, Danny Simpson, Robbie Fowler, Keith Treacy

LIVERPOOL: Pepe Reina, Sami Hyypia, Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Yossi Benayoun, Alvaro Arbeloa, Dirk Kuyt, Ryan Babel, Javier Mascherano, Emiliano Insua, Jamie Carragher

SUBS: Diego Cavalieri, Andrea Dossena, Daniel Agger, Robbie Keane, Albert Riera, Lucas Leiva, Nabil El Zhar