18:30. Well, that's all we've got time for this evening. To re-cap: Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers are both in the semi-final draw of the FA Cup after sharing a 0-0 draw. Gary Bowyer's side were tactically superb, troubling the Reds up-front as Rudy Gestede caused problems and Alex Baptiste's early second-half header had to be clawed away by Simon Mignolet. The Reds upped the ante after the break, but couldn't find a winning goal and so this tie will have to be settled via a replay - which will be decided at a later date. The game was also marred by Martin Skrtel's early head injury, but it has been confirmed that the Slovakian is now okay. Thank you for joining VAVEL and following the game with our LIVE match commentary. Make sure you're back tomorrow night, when Manchester United host Arsenal in the final FA Cup quarter-final. Thanks again, and good night.
18:29. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers talking to BBC Sport: "We kept a clean sheet and still have big confidence. We just lacked that final ball. We don't play until next Monday and that gives us a chance to prepare well. They put so much into the game but couldn't find the breakthrough. It's been difficult here against Championship teams, Blackburn deserve credit. But my players also deserve credit, they were missing sharpness but they kept going and tried to create chances. It wasn't to be but we will look to get into the semi-final when we play away. When you have that many bodies behind the ball it's difficult. I thought we should have had a penalty on Adam Lallana and if you get a goal in the first 20 minutes it opens the game up."
18:28. Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers on BBC Radio 5 live: "Martin Skrtel is fine. He could have played on but you have to listen to the medical team and the experts and he is fine in the changing room. He fell heavily so there was a feeling he could have been knocked out or concussed but I'll leave that to the medical experts. Our objective this week was to get four points out of six in the league and get into next round of the FA Cup. We got six points out of six and although we are not through to the next round, we are still in the draw."
18:25. "I thought it was in," Baptiste adds, talking about his second-half header that Simon Mignolet saved magnificently.
18:22. Blackburn defender Alex Baptiste told BT Sport: "We defended really well as a team, the midfield in front of us and Rudy Gestede up front put a real shift in. We had some good chances in the first half and it was a great team performance."
18:18. Blackburn defender Matt Kilgallon speaking to BT Sport's cameras afterwards: "It was 90 minutes of concentration. They had a lot of the ball but the lads worked for each other. Rudy (Gestede) is a massive threat for any centre-half. It was hard work out there but we are so happy with a clean sheet. I really enjoyed it and it's something to tell everyone about when you're finished."
18:15. Blackburn boss Gary Bowyer speaking to the BT Sport pundits post-match: "We carried out the gameplan to a tee and Rudy Gestede played really well. He was immense and had a few great opportunities. Unfortunately we just couldn't convert one. You'll always get those type of penalty shouts here. But we worked hard."
18:12. The Reds had 70% of the possession in that game. They had 21 shots to Blackburn's four - but the home side managed only four of their 21 on target. Just not good enough for the Premier League side, given that Rovers had kept just one clean sheet in their last 16 games beforehand.
18:08. Well, that's that then. A solid defensive display from Gary Bowyer's Blackburn Rovers means they come away from Anfield with a 0-0 draw, and the two will contest a replay later this month at Ewood Park. An extra game that Brendan Rodgers' Champions League-chasing Liverpool side could really do without. Managers and players reaction with you any minute.
18:04. Awful performance from a full-strength Liverpool side. They were outplayed in the first-half, with Rudy Gestede playing a huge part - but they had very, very little of the ball in the second-half. Nevertheless, they held out the hosts well. "One Jack Walker" rings around Anfield, the ex-Blackburn owner who owned the club when Rovers came away from Merseyside as the English champions 20 years ago.
18:00. A magnificently resolute defensive performance from Blackburn sees them earn the right to take Liverpool back to Ewood Park for a replay that the Reds would have been desperate to avoid. Both sides are still in the FA Cup semi-finals draw, which is conducted tomorrow after Manchester United and Arsenal's encounter, but it's Gary Bowyer's Championship side who will be the happier of the two sides. Having already taken some big Premier League scalps this season, they done well to restrict the in-form Reds to a goalless draw.
FT: Liverpool 0-0 Blackburn Rovers.
90+1' Blackburn supporters in great voice behind Eastwood's goal as this game comes to an end. Important to remember that of the five occasions that Liverpool have beaten Rovers in this competition, two have been from replays.
89' One minute of added time for Rodgers' side to find a breakthrough, but it's still 0-0. This seems destined for a replay.
87' Cairney goes into Marriner's book for a high boot on Balotelli. Poor challenge.
85' Johnson fires a cross in to the centre of the box, which Balotelli can't reach and Sterling stabs his header wide. Not long left for the Reds to find a winner.
83' The home side win a corner, which falls to Henderson at the near post - he drills a low shot towards Eastwood's near post, which goes out for a corner across the opposite flank. Coutinho does magnificently to beat a few players, keeping the ball despite plenty of pressure but from an impossible angle, his inside-of-the-foot shot hits the side netting.
82' Balotelli gets an opportunity, but drills it straight at the goalkeeper. Only minutes later, Lallana's cross in to Sturridge narrowly evades the striker's head as he mistimes his jump. Nothing going for the hosts in these final minutes.
80' Blackburn dealing well with everything Brendan Rodgers' side have thrown at them so far. Sturridge goes down inside the box and the crowd appeal for a penalty, but he looked to have been losing his balance. Balotelli rescues the ball, before backheeling his way past Conway down the left. He goes down and wins a free-kick, which Coutinho curls over the bar.
78' Johnson cuts across to prevent Gestede getting an effort away on goal from close-range, heading it back to Mignolet. 0-0 with a little over 10 minutes and added time left here.
76' Lallana hooks a ball in to Balotelli at the near post and Eastwood fluffs his lines, bundling it away but gratefully leaps back onto the loose ball before the Italian can take advantage.
75' Nervy atmosphere at Anfield now, with Blackburn clearly sensing they can drag this out into a replay. They look like doing so as it stands, piling bodies behind the ball and preventing the Reds from finding space in between the lines.
74' Great opportunity for Sturridge, after Balotelli's chipped ball is flicked into his path by Baptiste, but he swipes at it with his left foot and sends his shot five or six yards wide.
73' Sakho warming up with the Ivorian looking unsettled. His teammates aren't too concerned, still attempting to find a way forward rather than allow their teammate to get treatment.
72' After all the talk of their upsurge in form, it was almost inevitable that the Reds wouldn't be quite as impressive here - but this has been really poor from the hosts, and Kolo Toure is now limping after a duel with Gestede.
70' Balotelli shoots from range and unsurprisingly, it flies well over the bar and into the travelling Rovers contingent. Wasteful from the Italian.
68' Blackburn substitution: Taylor on, Marshall off.
67' Sturridge finds Sterling out on the left, but he's outnumbered and is dispossessed. The Reds still haven't got going, as Taylor prepares to come on for the visitors.
66' Sturridge stands over it, but curls his shot straight into the wall - it falls for Can, but his shot is blocked. Rovers defending resolutely here.
65' Sturridge wins a free-kick after a forceful challenge from behind. The set-piece is around 25-yards from goal, towards the right side, and the striker is lining it up.
64' Still 0-0, but the Reds are on the front foot now as they pile on the pressure. Sterling appeals for a free-kick after challenging with Conway, who holds his arm high, but nothing is given.
63' Coutinho's pass is poor and Blackburn launch a counter down the right, as Marshall pulls a ball out of the air with a brilliant touch - but he runs it out of play.
62' After a good period of possession, Henderson drives a cross in to the back post for Balotelli. It flies over the Italian's head, but Henley is forced to put it out for a corner with Sterling lurking. The Reds win another corner almost immediately, but can't make anything of it.
61' Coutinho whips a cross towards Toure at the back post and the Ivorian meets it, but can only clip the outside of Eastwood's near post.
60' Substitution for Liverpool: Markovic off, Balotelli on.
59' Mario Balotelli is being prepared to come on for the Reds, as they search for this game's opening goal. They almost find it, as Sturridge cuts it out wide to Sterling. His fine cross finds Lallana, but he can't get a strong enough connection on his header.
57' Sturridge tries a shot from 25-yard after Markovic's ball inside, but it's blocked by Kilgallon. After winning a throw, Johnson looks to find the striker with a ball through the channels but it drifts out for a goal-kick.
55' Still 0-0 in this one, as Can tries to surge forward into space, but is dispossessed. The Reds recover well, forcing Conway into a slip down the left and they work it forward to Sterling. He tries a neat reverse ball to Sturridge, who goes down in the area after Kilgallon's arm is put across him, but nothing is given by referee Andre Marriner.
53' Blackburn still the better team in this game, as the hour mark fast approaches. Henley gives away a foul at the half-way line, leaving his studs in on Can's ankle.
51' Sturridge goes close after bringing down Johnson's cross and trying a right-footed shot. it deflects for Coutinho, but he slices his effort wide of the mark.
50' Second corner for Rovers, but this time it comes to nothing.
49' It's swung in by Conway and Baptiste directs a powerful header towards the top corner, which Mignolet climbs to palm over the bar. Brilliant save from the Belgian to prevent a certain goal.
48' News coming in that Skrtel is fine, and is watching the game from the stands. Always good news to hear. Back on the pitch though, and Emre Can is forced to spare Lovren's blushes after Conway flies down the right flank. Corner Blackburn.
47' The Reds have scored six of their seven FA Cup goals so far this season in the second-half. Promising sign for Liverpool fans? We'll soon find out. This second 45 minutes hasn't started too much differently, although the hosts are pressing aggressively from the off to force Bowyer's side into mistakes.
46' On that note, do you agree that the semi-finals should be played at Wembley? Brendan Rodgers certainly doesn't, saying "it takes a little bit away from it" - referring to the final. Tweet your own personal opinions to @VAVEL.
46' We're back underway. This could go one of two ways just yet - should the scoreline stay the same, the two teams will require a replay to settle their differences, but both will know that a place at Wembley awaits the winner.
17:07. A sub-dued home crowd at Anfield, who have yet to see their side truly assert themselves on the game. If they can, then you get the feeling they have the quality to edge this one out, but they'll have a lot to do before that. Rovers, to Bowyer's and all the player's credit, have been brilliant - and they'll know all too well that getting a goal in this second-half could really upset the odds. We'll have live action from the rest of this FA Cup quarter-final with you shortly.
17:03. The home side just really haven't got going. Whether they've been thrown off course by Skrtel's worrying injury in the early minutes, or they've just not got going - Rodgers will be looking to ensure they're closer to the levels they were at this time last week as soon as possible.
17:00. Goalless at Anfield at the break then. Martin Skrtel's early injury and Rudy Gestede's impressive efforts up-front for Blackburn, causing constant problems for the Liverpool defence, have been the headlines so far. This quarter-final is certainly still up for grabs as it stands. Gary Bowyer's Championship side have been the better of the two teams. They've been very organised and have come with a strong plan, which seems to be working well for them so far. They've not allowed the Reds many opportunities to cause problems in the final third, but the Reds have got a gear to step up yet, and if they can do that - this game could get a even more interesting.
HT: Liverpool 0-0 Blackburn Rovers.
45+8' Johnson surges into the box from the right, getting to the byline and cutting a powerful low cross across goal, but Lallana can only head it wide after it deflects into his path.
45+7' Henderson feeds Sterling, and after sprinting 40-yards down the flank he jinks inside and finds the feet of Sturridge, who spins towards goal and shoots from an awkward angle. It's a thunderous strike, but Eastwood palms it away.
45+6' Markovic does well to win a corner out of Olsson after retrieving Johnson's long ball. Henderson takes and it twice comes back out to him, but second time around it takes a bounce and deflects up and off the midfielder and out for a goal-kick.
45+5' Free-kick to Blackburn after Lovren fouls Gestede around 25-yards from goal. Conway takes it, bending it in towards the back post but Mignolet is first to it.
45+4' Markovic brings down a long ball well after making space for himself. He drills a shot into the near post, but a deflection from Henley allows Eastwood to gather with ease.
45+3' Blackburn really enjoying themselves on this sunny afternoon in Merseyside. They've had the better of the game, and they've really put the Reds off of their stride so far. Can they nick the lead before the break?
45+1' Eight minutes of added time remaining in this first-half, and Emre Can goes into the book after being forced into bringing down Marshall inside the half-way line as Lovren's poor pass gave away the ball. The free-kick is swung up into the box, but after Gestede wins the header, it's cleared.
45' Sterling feeds Lallana in to the near post, but after hesitating to return the ball, the Reds only have a throw-in. They do well to maintain possession in the final third, but Can's cross is poor.
44' Conway forces Sterling into a sliding tackle down the left. After a couple of throw-ins, another long ball is swung into Gestede but it rolls over to Marshall across the other flank. Under pressure from Markovic, his cross goes straight out for a goal-kick.
42' Lallana sends a high cross in search of Sturridge after racing on to a loose ball, but the Reds just can't find the final piece to the puzzle going forward. That said, they're getting better with time.
41' Markovic weaves through a few bodies before slipping the ball into Lallana, but his intentions are well read by Baptiste. Rovers launch a quick counter, which Toure is forced to hook clear.
40' Awkward bounce from Eastwood's long kick almost allows Gestede ro flick a header over Mignolet, but the Belgian manages to recover and gather. Blackburn are certainly looking to target the Reds defence in the air.
38' Gestede brings down a long ball and almost gets a volley away, but it's blocked. The tall forward is causing all kinds of problems to the Reds defence, especially in the air.
36' Coutinho, whose scored a couple of sublime goals in recent weeks, cuts inside onto his right from the left side but his technique is not quite as impressive as it was seven days ago as his shot flies into the Kop.
35' Sterling beats Henley to the byline and wins a corner. Coutinho takes it, but it's well dealt with. Nevertheless, the Reds keep possession and after switching flanks - Sterling almost feeds Toure (yes, Toure) through on goal - but he can't bring it under control.
34' Sterling wins a foul from Conway, and Henderson sends a free-kick in to the centre of the box from the left. After a number off Gestede's arm, it falls to Toure and his finish is a good one - but he's flagged offside.
33' Blackburn playing really, really well here - and they should have just taken advantage. After finding too much space down the right, Gestede dummies ball swung in from the right, allowing it to fall to Conway - but his shot swerves wide. He should have done better with that.
31' Liverpool just trying to find a way through the Rovers defence and Coutinho does exactly that, weaving one way and then the other to deceive the defenders in front of him, but his curling shot is well over the crossbar.
30' Can shakes off his marker inside the Rovers half and drives forward. He gets his pass away despite being outnumbered, but Sturridge can't control. The home side have yet to really carve out any troublesome opportunities here.
29' Gestede tries a volley inside the area after Cairney's cross, but Sterling does well to prevent him getting a clean shot away and he wins a foul after Gestede's foot swings across and catches him.
28' The Reds really not themselves here, as they give away possession easily in their own half, but Olsson's shot is well blocked.
26' Markovic's cross wins a throw-in deep in the Rovers half and from it, Henderson drives across the box, but after playing back to Can - they lose possession from a poor pass and Lovren is forced to throw himself over to the right flank to halt the counter-attack.
24' Marshall keeps the ball down the left and tries an inswinging cross, which Toure comes across to clear for a throw-in. It's thrown long, which Gestede heads across the box but Mignolet is there to grasp. Blackburn enjoying a sustained spell of pressure in the Liverpool half here.
22' Great defending by Toure up the other end, after Conway looked to have been sprinting into space down the right. But after Sterling tries to overcomplicate things, Johnson is forced to turn a dangerous cross just wide of his own goal. From the corner, Toure does well to powerfully head clear twice.
20' Rovers skipper Kilgallon does excellently to prevent Lallana shooting from close-range following a fine attacking move from the hosts, sliding in to block the shot. Superb defending, but it gives the Reds a corner. They can't take advantage however, as Lovren's header from is off-target. Sturridge goes to retrieve the ball, but he's flagged offside.
18' Sterling does superbly to beat Henley inside the area, but his square ball is deflected wide for a corner which in turn takes a few deflections before Coutinho shoots, but it's blocked and the Brazilian briefly goes down with a knock to the ankle.
16' Blackburn right-back Henley gives the ball away cheaply, allowing Henderson to guide a through ball towards Sturridge running through on goal - but the pass just has too much on it and Eastwood beats the forward to the ball.
15' Skrtel's injury just seems to have put the Reds off of their rhythm, with Blackburn building a number of promising moves - but Emre Can does brilliantly to muscle Olsson off the ball down the left flank.
14' That's just stinted the tempo of the game, but Henderson gives away a poor foul on Conway. The set-piece, 40-yards from goal, is whipped in by Cairney and Mignolet is beaten to the ball by Gestede - but the striker can only direct it wide. Worrying signs for the hosts.
12' A somewhat makeshift back three for the Reds here, with Can in midfield and regulars Sakho and Skrtel now off the pitch. Add to that the sun blinding Mignolet's vision at the Anfield Road End, and this could be the perfect weather for a storm.
11' Skrtel seems to be awake, but he was surrounded by medics before he left the pitch there, as he raised his thumbs to the ground. We'll have updates on that injury with you as soon as we hear them.
10' Not nice scenes at Anfield, with Rodgers forced into an early substitution. Skrtel, who looked to have been knocked out clean is stretchered off and replaced by Toure after the game is interrupted for a few minutes. That will be a boost for the visitors because the centre-back has been in strong form recently, but let's hope the Slovakian is okay. His teammates clearly look concerned.
3' Skrtel goes down in an aerial challenge with Gestede and the Slovakian falls horribly. Medics are immediately onto the pitch, with Toure and Sakho warming up on the sidelines. This doesn't look too good.
2' Fantastic atmosphere here, with both teams looking to build some early momentum. The Reds just enjoying the better of the ball early on, but Sterling can't keep Skrtel's long ball in play after Hanley sees it out at the byline.
1' We're off! Liverpool get this FA Cup quarter-final started, shooting from left to right (or, towards the Kop end for those more familiar with Anfield)
15:59. The players are ready. The fans are ready. Live FA Cup action with you momentarily.
15:56. Kick-off closing in now on Merseyside. Don't miss a moment of the action right here, as Blackburn look to shock high-flying Liverpool to get to Wembley.
15:52. The English midfielder starts today's game alongside the in-form Philippe Coutinho behind the striker. Reds boss Brendan Rodgers recently admitted he was in awe of the Brazilian, who has been called up to the Brazil national team in a few weeks time. Read more here. 
15:48. Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana has insisted he and his teammates must approach this game with the same intensity and effort they did against Manchester City last Sunday. "We won’t underestimate Blackburn, we will dust ourselves down, recover well and go again," he said a couple of days ago. "A lot of the big guns went out in the early rounds so it is good that we can maybe capitalise on that but Blackburn will not be an easy game."
15:45. Closing in on kick-off at a sunny Anfield. The ground's filling up nicely ahead of this FA Cup quarter-final, stay right here as we'll have LIVE commentary and analysis of Liverpool - Blackburn in about 15 minutes.
15:42. Gestede, asked whether he would still take the penalty today, replied: "Yeah, I would take it. That was a great final but penalties are a lottery and I missed mine. I remember it to this day. It’s still the biggest game I’ve played in. I was younger then and I was a bit tired because it was the end of the game after extra-time. That remains the only penalty I have missed. But it’s gone, it’s finished, it’ s behind me. It’s going to be a different game on Sunday."
15:39. Another stat that may have slipped under the radar. Rudy Gestede, who has scored 15 goals in all competitions for Rovers this season, was one of the penalty-takers in the 2012 League Cup final between Liverpool and Cardiff City. Gestede missed his spot-kick and the Reds went on to lift the trophy, which remains their most recent. Will the Benin international gain his revenge?
15:36. Confirmation on that earlier team news - Joe Allen misses out after a training ground injury suffered yesterday, and yes - Emre Can is in midfield Liverpool fans, with Glen Johnson slotting into the back three. Read about how Brendan Rodgers believes Can could play at "any club in the world" right here.
15:33. Daniel Sturridge, starting as the Reds' spearhead today, has scored 10 goals in his last 12 FA Cup starts. He netted the second goal against Burnley in mid-week, turning in Jordan Henderson's fine cross with an angled header - but is he the biggest threat to Blackburn today? Have your say by tweeting your opinion to @VAVELLiverpool.
15:30. An interesting stat for you. Liverpool have scored exactly two goals in each of their last eight FA Cup wins, with six 2-1 victories and two 2-0 triumphs. The Reds are 11/2 to win 2-0, or 17/2 to win 2-1 with Sky Bet. A reverse scoreline sees huge odds of 66/1 for Rovers to win 2-0, or 33/1 to win 2-1. Funnily enough, the last (and only) time they met at the quarter final stage of this competition, Blackburn won 2-1, all the way back in 1958.
15:28. The last time these two sides met, Andy Carroll was the hero for Liverpool. Yes, it really was that long ago. Back in April 2012, the two sides fought it out in an entertaining Ewood Park clash and despite Yakubu's brace pegging back the Reds, who led thanks to two quick-fire first-half Maxi Rodriguez goals - £35 million Carroll lept in injury-time to head home the winning goal for the 10-man visitors.
15:25. Centre-back Kolo Toure, who is on the bench for today's game, insisted recently that he "always knew" Mignolet would come good. "He's a guy who will never give up. He's the guy who comes in every morning and works had, he never changes," the Ivorian says. Read the full quotes here. 
15:22. Reds goalkeeper Simon Mignolet keeps his place in between the sticks, with the club's no.2 Brad Jones still out from the thigh injury that saw him withdrawn from their 1-0 Boxing Day win over Burnley. Ever since, the Belgian has been in impressive form, compared to his shaky start to the 2014-15 campaign. Make sure you read Ato Coulon's piece on Mignolet's revival by clicking here.
15:19. Blackburn midfielder Tom Cairney has admitted games do not come much bigger than today's fixture, but that doesn't mean he's not hopeful of coming away victorious. "Quarter-final at Anfield in the FA Cup, you can’t ask for a much bigger game than that," said the 24-year-old. "Our fans will be loud and I’m sure they (Liverpool fans) will be too as it’s Gerrard’s last season and they’ll want to get to Wembley for him. I don’t know whether it’s the pink balls or Chris Taylor, but I think it could be our year. Stranger things have happened. Bolton drew there and Middlesbrough took them to penalties so we’ll definitely go there full of belief and we’ll be right at it, as tough as it will be."
15:17. Bowyer has opted to bench Jordan Rhodes, after recent rumours indicated the striker could be in line for a loan move to Derby County, with a view to a permanent transfer. 6ft 4in Rudy Gestede starts up top for Rovers on his own. The Championship outfit have made seven changes from the side which won 2-1 at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
15:14. Blackburn boss Bowyer speaking before today's game: "Everybody is well excited. We had a good win against Sheffield Wednesday in the week but since then the attention has turned to this game and there is a buzz around the town, which is great because it has been a while. There is a special atmosphere at Anfield and we prepared the players for that but when the whistle goes, I know it is a cliché, but it's a game of football and we'll have good go at it. Our league form has been a bit inconsistent but that goes out of the window today. The players take a lot of confidence from those FA Cup performances - against Stoke and Swansea - but Liverpool are the form team in the Premier League. Even if Brendan Rodgers decides to rest a few players today that doesn't weaken the team."
15:11. A strong starting line-up from Brendan Rodgers. The official line-up shows Emre Can at the back, but it may be that the German starts in the middle of the park with Glen Johnson as one of the back three. Lazar Markovic and one of Adam Lallana or Raheem Sterling would then be the wing-backs, but we'll have more confirmation on that as we receive it. Mario Balotelli is forced to settle with a place on the bench, as Mamadou Sakho returns and Steven Gerrard is left out of the squad altogether.
15:08. Blackburn Rovers Bench: Steele, Spurr, Brown, Rhodes, Taylor, Henry, Lenihan.
15:07. Liverpool Bench: Ward, Toure, Lambert, Moreno, Sakho, Balotelli, Williams.
15:05. Blackburn Rovers XI: Eastwood, Henley, Baptiste, Kilgallon (c), Olsson, Marshall, Evans, Williamson, Conway, Cairney, Gestede.
15:03. Liverpool XI: Mignolet, Can, Skrtel, Lovren, Johnson, Markovic, Henderson (c), Lallana, Coutinho, Sterling, Sturridge.
15:01. The teams are in...
14:59. We're just an hour away from kick-off between Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers in this afternoon's LIVE FA Cup quarter-final action from Anfield. We'll have both team's starting line-ups with you in just a couple of minutes. Stay tuned.
14:57. The Ulsterman continued: "I think (Rovers manager) Gary Bowyer has done an outstanding job since he has gone in there. “He’s had a similar pathway to myself in terms of working in youth development so he understands football clubs from the top to the bottom. He has gone in there in very difficult circumstances and stabilised the club and got everyone on the same path and has done an outstanding job. People say getting to Wembley for the semi-final is a big thing but not really. Winning and getting to the final is the big priority."
14:52. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has insisted that the Reds will treat Blackburn with as much respect as the last two sides they have faced at home. Today marks their third successive Anfield game within a week and seven days ago, they were superb as they beat Manchester City 2-1, but Rodgers has said they will treat today's game with the same approach. "They got their first league win away from home in four months in the week (at Sheffield Wednesday) but we will give them the same respect we would give Manchester City or any other team," said the Reds boss. "It is a big game. We made it clear our intent in this competition was to get to the final and win it and to do that you have to beat different types of teams and Blackburn will come and look to make it difficult for us."
14:48. Which team are you siding with today? Blackburn have won none of their last 11 trips to Anfield (D4 L7) since their last victory in January 2000, which was also the last time they met in the FA Cup, whilst Liverpool have progressed on 15 of the last 16 occasions they have reached the FA Cup quarter final. Send in your score predictions to @VAVELLiverpool.
14:45. Kilgallon is likely to be lining up alongside Jordan Henderson in the tunnel before the game, a face he knows all too well having played at Sunderland together a few years ago. "Promising would be an understatement, really," 31-year-old Kilgallon says of a young Henderson. "Even at such a young age you could see Jordan had everything. He looked a proper professional then and he’s kicked on since. He got his dream move and it’s nice to see him doing well. He’s probably their best player at the minute, running up and down that pitch all day to make them tick. I’ve no doubt he’ll end up being a top Liverpool captain."
14:42. Blackburn captain Matt Kilgallon has spoken of his excitement to take on Liverpool for a place in the semi-finals, insisting they are full of confidence. "We fancied ourselves against Stoke, we knew we were not far off their level," Kilgallon said. "The way Liverpool are playing at the moment I don’t thing we could have possibly landed a harder tie, but we are up for it. When the draw was made we were all together at Cardiff for an away game and we were excited, really happy at the prospect. We know it is going to be tough but we have been preparing specifically for the game in training and we are determined to give it a really good go."
14:39. Did you know? This is the 10th time these sides have been drawn together in the FA Cup, with Liverpool progressing on five occasions and Blackburn going through four times.
14:36. Steven Gerrard made his Premier League debut against Blackburn and has scored four goals in his last six starts against them, but the Reds' form in the absence of their skipper has had some pondering - will life for Liverpool actually be better when Gerrard leaves for LA Galaxy in three months' time? Calum Paton answers here.
14:33. Rodgers added: "For me the most important thing in the first case is having Steven available. He is an outstanding player still and having him back makes us a better squad. He is not fit yet so we just need to get him back and then if that (him sitting on the bench for the final three months of his Liverpool career) was the case you would have to ask Steven (how he feels). Let's see how the season pans out and then review it then."
14:30. On the subject of Gerrard - Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has insisted that with his team's guns firing without their full-time skipper, he will not be allowed to waltz back into the starting side. "There is no-one in the squad who has a God-given right to walk straight into the team," he said. "It probably would be (an issue) for other people but certainly not for me and it wouldn't be for Steven. He is very much a team player and if he was on the bench because the team was in good form and playing well I think everyone respects that. I have shown my time here players who are performing well, irrespective of price or status, they play - simple as that."
14:26. Team News: But Bowyer will be without defenders Shane Duffy, Jason Lowe and Alex Baptiste - whilst Grant Hanley's leg injury could also see him miss out. Further forward, forward Josh King - who scored a hat-trick in Blackburn's fifth-round win over Stoke City, is unlikely to have overcome his hamstring problem.
14:23. Team News: On-loan West Ham United centre-back Doneil Henry could be poised for a start this afternoon. He joined Rovers earlier in the week on a one-month loan deal and impressed as he played the full 90 minutes in a 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday. Blackburn boss Gary Bowyer said on the matter: "Full credit to Doneil and his character. He's been brought in to play games for us and we have to thank West Ham for allowing him to come to us. Everybody at West Ham spoke very highly of him and his performance on Wednesday backed that up. We wouldn't have any problems playing him on Sunday against Liverpool."
14:20. Team News: Rodgers is unlikely to risk Steven Gerrard in today's game. The 34-year-old returned to full-time training earlier this week but has had to undergo a late fitness test to determine whether he can take part, after spending a couple of weeks out with a hamstring injury. Centre-back Mamadou Sakho could be in the squad as he edges towards a return after sitting four games on the sidelines with a hip injury. The Northern Irishman is still without Brad Jones (thigh), Lucas Leiva (thigh), Jon Flanagan (knee), Jose Enrique (knee) and most recently Jordon Ibe, whose knee ligament injury will see him out for at least four weeks.
14:17. Today's visitors have won the competition seven times, but this is only the second time that Liverpool have reached the sixth round since they won the trophy in 2006. They also reached this stage in 2012, when they beat Stoke 2-1 at Anfield before losing to Chelsea in the final. Blackburn have reached the sixth round for the second time in three seasons, also reaching this stage in 2013 when they lost to Millwall.
14:16. To read further into both side's journeys so far in the FA Cup, check out Oliver Emmerson's full-length Liverpool - Blackburn match preview here.
14:14. Blackburn, 11th in the Championship table, clearly represent dangerous opposition, but Rovers boss Gary Bowyer still believes his side are massive underdogs in today's game. "It's David - Goliath. Nobody's giving us a chance outside of our dressing room," he said. "I think they're the most impressive team in the Premier League at the moment and the football that they're playing is fantastic. Obviously full credit to the manager for the way he changed his formation. We've studied the videos, we've come up with a gameplan, and we've worked with the players on it. We'll go and take the challenge to Liverpool. We've been very organised and very disciplined in the previous meetings with the Premier League teams, and then of course along the way you need a bit of luck. The mood's one of excitement and rightly so. The lads have earned the right to play at Anfield with the performances in the previous rounds."
14:11. Today's visitors have had quite the run themselves. They beat 10-man Charlton Athletic 2-1 thanks to two Chris Taylor goals, before impressively disposing of Swansea City 3-1 on home turf with two late goals in the next round. They then met Mark Hughes' Stoke City in the fifth round at Ewood Park, as a tremendous Josh King hat-trick saw them power past a poor 10-man Stoke side. Two Premier League scalps already then, can they take a third to seal a trip to Wembley today?
14:08. Brendan Rodgers' side have enjoyed plenty of success in domestic cup competitions. The Northern Irishman led his side to the semi-finals of the Capital One Cup, where they were narrowly beaten by Chelsea after lacking an away goal. In the FA Cup meanwhile, they've pushed past the stern test of AFC Wimbledon thanks to Steven Gerrard's heroics, before late goals from Raheem Sterling and Philippe Coutinho saw them through from their Fourth Round replay against Bolton Wanderers after initially drawing 0-0 at Anfield. That led them to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace, but despite falling behind early, second-half strikes from Sterling and Adam Lallana guided the Reds into the semi-finals - where they today meet Blackburn. 
14:05. Liverpool come into this game as arguably the most in-form team in the country, having lost two of 20 games in all competitions since Christmas day, one which came in extra-time. After a dreadful start to the season in which their UEFA Champions League campaign was cut short, they have slowly turned their season around since the Christmas period, picking up 28 points from an available 33 in the Premier League as they slowly rediscover their quick-thinking, fluid attacking style-of-play.
14:03. Today's two teams are playing for the opportunity to visit Wembley in the semi-finals of the competition, with Aston Villa already having secured their place in the semis after beating Midland rivals West Bromwich Albion 2-0 yesterday, whilst lower league sides Reading and Bradford City played out a 0-0 draw at Valley Parade.
14:00. Hello and welcome to VAVEL UK's live minute-by-minute match coverage and commentary of this today's game. This afternoon, Sunday 8th March, sees Liverpool host Blackburn Rovers in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup at Anfield. This evening's game kicks off at 4:00pm, but until then - we'll have plenty of pre-match build-up, commentary and analysis. Make sure you stay following.