Sam Allardyce believes injury woes mean Andy Carroll will return to Liverpool for the first time much more appreciative of his career, but has warned the West Ham striker not to try and win the game on his own.
The 26-year-old England international has started only 23 Premier League games since making his loan move to West Ham from Liverpool permanent 19 months ago, scoring seven goals and struggling with two serious injuries.
A heel problem saw Carroll miss much of last year before he broke down with an ankle problem on the eve of the current campaign, but he is now back to full fitness and finally showing he can lead the line for the Hammers as they continue in search of European qualification.
Saturday's trip to Anfield will be Carroll's first chance to take on the club who paid 35 million pounds for his services four years ago and Allardyce feels his two long-term injuries have given the former Newcastle man a fresh perspective on professional football.
"In my experience, Andy would be more appreciative,'' Allardyce said. "When you are a youngster and are talented and you hit the headlines it can be a little bit (much) in terms of a footballer, you can take it for granted.
"When you get a few injuries you start to appreciate more the life of a footballer and how important it is for you. Every youngster, it takes time for them to mature. So his appreciation of football is far greater."
With fellow striker Diafra Sakho still striving for match sharpness following a back injury, Carroll is likely to be named in West Ham's starting lineup as they look to complete a double over Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool. But Allardyce has warned Carroll not to get carried away by the situation and to remember he is just one part of a team looking to continue their fine start to the season.
"I hope he doesn't try too hard because that can put you off your game,'' he said. "But football is a team game, so we want everyone to do well and help each other out. I'm sure Andy would like to score and we'll certainly do what we can to try and help him do that.
"I certainly don't think he has anything to prove, everyone knows how good he is. He just needs to focus and prepare like he does for every game, keep a calm head and play his normal game.
"If you lose control in terms of how you are thinking then you lose your game. Hopefully he goes out and performs very well.''
Carroll has said he will not treat the game any differently and does not see that he has to show Liverpool they were wrong to sell him.
"Going back to Anfield has not been on my mind really,'' he told West Ham's official website. "To be honest it's just another game. I know it's a team I played for before but for me it's just a game for us that we need to go and win.
"I haven't been able to play there for the last couple of years, so it'll be nice to go back and see the people that I spent time with, but as a game it's just another one.
"I don't feel like I have anything to prove. I enjoyed my spell there; it was a short one, but I enjoyed it. It didn't work out and now I'm playing against them.''
West Ham also appear close to a deal for Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher, who has been given permission to leave Manchester United on a free transfer. United manager Louis van Gaal revealed the player was due in East London for a medical on Friday.
"He is my third captain,'' Van Gaal said of Fletcher. "He is an important guy in the dressing room. I like him as a human being and as a player.
"We shall miss him. But he has not played so many times. I think always that is the main goal of a player. We have talked about that. He prefers to play. Therefore we have helped him to go away.
''For us, it is a miss, a loss. For the club who bought him, it is another player with a lot of qualities, as a midfielder and as a captain. He is a very experienced player."