"You try to tell the players this is just another game and hope they understand that," said the Reds boss."We know there is a lot of interest in this match but I will say to the players this is not just about one player.
"I don't want to talk about Rio Ferdinand. All I want to do is concentrate on winning a game. In three months time we won't be talking about Ferdinand, just who got three points - that's all that counts.
"It may be difficult for him coming back, I don't know. There will always be doubt in a player's mind until he makes his first tackle, his first header or first interception. After that, everything becomes normal again.
"We are playing 11 Manchester United players, not one, so we have to concentrate on the whole picture, not just part of it."