Mohamed Sissoko is hopeful of playing again at the start of next month after a two-month lay-off with a dislocated shoulder, although having left his Liverpool team-mates fighting on four fronts, the midfield player could return to find that there is only one trophy still realistically up for grabs. No wonder Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, rates the Mali player so highly.

Fourteen points adrift of Manchester United in the Barclays Premiership and seemingly out of the title race, defeat by Arsenal in tonight’s rescheduled Carling Cup quarter-final at Anfield — only three days after they were beaten at home by the same opponents in the FA Cup — would leave Liverpool with only the Champions League to pursue.

Of course, Liverpool were not in an entirely dissimilar situation during Benítez’s first season in charge at Anfield, when, famously, his team went on to lift the European Cup, but given that there were such high expectations on Merseyside during the summer, it is a scenario that is unlikely to sit comfortably with the club’s supporters.

There is no single explanation for Liverpool’s difficulties this season, but as they prepare to try to avenge Saturday’s 3-1 loss, their poor record against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United is at least partly to blame, even if, in their defence, Premiership defeats this season by the “big three” have come away from home.

“We haven’t managed to beat Chelsea, Manchester United or Arsenal in the major competitions this season, and that’s something that worries us,” Xabi Alonso, the midfield player, said. “Against the big teams, we aren’t performing or getting the results that we might have expected. In the Premiership, they all still have to come to Anfield and we have to show we can get results against them.”

Dirk Kuyt, the forward, believes that Arsenal will hold the upper hand mentally after their impressive FA Cup third-round victory, but both he and Alonso are adamant that defeat has heightened the Liverpool players’ desire to win tonight.

“Maybe their win can give Arsenal a psychological advantage, but the defeat gives us an extra incentive and an extra boost to want to win,” Kuyt said. “We just have to keep going and try to win in the Carling Cup.”

Benítez is expected to keep faith with Jerzy Dudek, the goalkeeper, although if the manager needed a fillip yesterday in the wake of his side’s FA Cup exit, Sissoko’s claim that he hopes to be fit in time for the Merseyside derby at home to Everton on February 3 was well timed.

The influential midfield anchor, who returned to training this week, has been sidelined since November 8 after he dislocated a shoulder in the previous round of the Carling Cup against Birmingham City. “I’ve worked hard to get better and now I’m feeling OK,” Sissoko said.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have left their pursuit of Javier Mascherano in the hands of the club’s lawyers as they seek a resolution to a Fifa ruling that has complicated the Argentina midfield player’s prospective move from West Ham United.

Fifa, the world governing body, maintained last night that Mascherano would not be able to play for Liverpool this season in the event that he joins the club, most probably on loan, because the 22-year-old has played for two other sides — Corinthians and West Ham — since July 1 last year.

Article 5.3 states that, although a player can be registered for three clubs during the period from July 1 to June 30, he is eligible to play in official matches for only two clubs during that time.

Fifa said last night that it had yet to be contacted by Liverpool, who are expected to highlight previous cases in which the ruling has apparently not applied and argue that the law constitutes a restraint of trade.

Liverpool (possible; 4-4-2): J Dudek — S Finnan, S Hyypia, J Carragher, F Aurélio — J Pennant, X Alonso, S Gerrard, M González — D Kuyt, C Bellamy.

Arsenal (4-4-2): M Almunia — E Eboué, J Djourou, P Senderos, G Clichy — A Hleb, A Diaby, M Flamini, T Rosicky — J Baptista, T Henry.

Referee: M Atkinson.

Television: live on Sky Sports 1, from 7.30pm. Kick-off 7.45pm.