Brendan Rodgers said Mario Balotelli's skill-set doesn't suit the high-tempo style Liverpool is hoping to recapture.

Rodgers has recently adopted a 3-4-3 formation designed to give added potency to his side's attack after a poor first four months of the season and has seen displays improve since abandoning the 4-2-3-1 setup he used for much of the campaign.

Asked how Balotelli might fit into the new system, Rodgers said: "I think we've seen that it's not really his game.

"Having worked with Mario during the time he's been here, we've seen that he's a player who better in and around the box, so that level of intensity and pressing isn't a part of his game, but you try to get the best out of the players that you have, and the qualities that they have, so that's something that we'll focus on.

"The most important thing is that he's now available after his ban. That adds another player to our squad, especially with Fabio Borini not being available because of suspension."