Europa success can boost Reds' domestic hopes

The Reds face Unirea Urziceni in Bucharest tonight with a 1-0 lead from the first leg of their last-32 tie.

Rafael Benitez's side have already been made favourites for the competition, having been knocked out of the Champions League like their Romanian opponents, and Mascherano thinks a winning run in a cup competition can boost the club's Premier League campaign.

"It is a really important game for us. We were talking about it for the last few days and it is really important we get through the last-32 stage," said the Argentina captain.

"We know when you have some good games for the players and the team it is always good to get confidence.

"We were seven games unbeaten before the Arsenal game when we were playing some good football.

"We now have to do our best to win something and at the moment this is the only competition we have chances in so we will try to think about this."

Defensively Liverpool have tightened up in the past two months, with seven clean sheets in their last 11 games in all competitions.

Mascherano's form has figured significantly in those clean sheets but the midfielder tried to downplay his role.

"I don't talk too much about me. I am feeling very good now, in good form because maybe now I feel good in terms of fitness," he added.

"That is good for me because my job is a physical job."

Everton defender Phil Jagielka has been included in the squad to face Sporting Lisbon.

The 27-year-old has not featured for the first team since rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee against Manchester City last April.

Jagielka is standing by as Sylvain Distin (suspended), John Heitinga (cup-tied) and Tony Hibbert (hernia) are all unavailable. Philippe Senderos is struggling with a back problem but has travelled.

Roy Hodgson has no intention of playing for a draw when his Fulham side take on Shakhtar Donetsk for a place in the last 16 of the Europa League.

Fulham head to Shakhtar's impressive Donbass Arena holding a 2-1 advantage following the first leg at Craven Cottage last week.

But the wily Hodgson said: "Playing for a draw is a difficult thing to do, you automatically give the initiative to the other team.

"I don't think it's in our nature or in our style of play to do that, surrender the initiative and try to shut up shop for 90 minutes."