CSKA and Liverpool had injury concerns ahead of the match. CSKA striker Ivica Olić, the top scorer in Russia at the time, was sidelined with a serious knee injury. However, fellow CSKA striker Vágner Love was said by manager Valery Gazzaev to have "no problems" over his leg injury. Liverpool were without injured duo Djimi Traoré and Peter Crouch. There was also doubt over whether their captain Steven Gerrard would play. The decision over whether his calf injury had healed sufficiently for the match was left to the last moment. However, Gerrard was not deemed fit enough to play and was left out of the squad. The lead up to the match had been changed from the previous year. The UEFA Club Football Awards were incorporated into the draw for the group stage of the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League on the day before the match.