Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez will choose between defenders Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger to partner Steven Gerrard in central midfield against Portsmouth on Wednesday after Bolo Zenden becomes the latest addition to the club's injury list.
The former Middlesbrough player has suffered knee ligament problems which will need an operation.
With fellow midfielders Xabi Alonso and Mohamed Sissoko also out, Zenden's absence is a major problem for Benitez, who has added young reserve Danny Guthrie to his squad.
Benitez also has Stephen Warnock, Mark Gonzalez, Fabio Aurelio and Harry Kewell sidelined, while Craig Bellamy is unlikely to be available because of his protracted court case in Cardiff.
Liverpool provisional squad: Reina, Finnan, Hyypia, Agger, Carragher, Riise, Luis Garcia, Gerrard, Pennant, Guthrie, Crouch, Kuyt, Fowler, Dudek, Paletta, Hammill, Peltier, El Zhar.
Portsmouth need to run a series of late fitness tests on key players ahead of the clash at Liverpool, where they have not won a league match for 55 years.
Full-backs Glen Johnson (thigh) and Dejan Stefanovic - who had a knee operation on Monday - are both out and manager Harry Redknapp must see if Matt Taylor (back) is fit enough to replace the Serbian before deciding whether to recall Andy Griffin from a loan spell at Stoke.
But striker Lomana LuaLua, who missed Sunday's defeat at Newcastle with ankle trouble, and midfielder Sean Davis (groin) are major doubts while Benjani Mwaruwari will need a pain-killing injection in his knee to play up front alongside Kanu. Andy Cole is out for a month with an Achilles problem.
Portugal's Manuel Fernandes and Scotland's Richard Hughes are in contention for rare midfield starts along with Niko Kranjcar and Pedro Mendes.
Portsmouth squad: James, Pamarot, Primus, Campbell, Taylor, O'Neil, Mendes, Thompson, Fernandes, Kranjcar, Mwaruwari, Kanu, Davis, Douala, Hughes, LuaLua, O'Brien, Koroman, Ashdown.
