"I'm really looking forward to Wednesday - the banter started a long time ago. It's a big game for me because I've got to train with them on Thursday," said the Liverpool skipper.
"It will be really strange to play against Xabi in a competitive match. He's a terrific player, a great guy and it's exciting to go into battle head-to-head.
"We are really close, we're playing quite well together but it will be different on Wednesday. We're both looking forward to it and I don't think whoever loses will be looking forward to going into work on Thursday."