Benitez must again do without Fernando Torres, Glen Johnson and Yossi Benayoun this afternoon, with the trio all expected to be sidelined for another month.
The manager’s main decision concerns whether or not to hand Alberto Aquilani a derby debut or recall Lucas Leiva to central midfield.
Recent meetings with Everton have been undermined by questionable chanting from both sets of supporters, a conflict at times reflected in the strained relations between Benitez and Goodison counterpart David Moyes.
But the Spaniard said: “I don’t see any problem between us. We have to defend our team and our club and that’s it.
“The way that we do this sometimes changes and each year we might have some minor issues but I don’t see any big problems. He is a good manager, he is doing a good job and we will try to win and try to be correct.
“One thing that we have to understand, and in modern football it is more difficult, is respect. I don’t like to hear people singing songs that aren’t necessary, we have to respect the other people and try to win in the best way possible.
“I’m talking about football in general, not just about this game, we have to show some respect in the stands.”
Ten red cards have been shown in the last 14 top-flight derbies, with the fixture the most volatile in Premier League history.
And Benitez has once again called for his team to retain their composure as they look to secure only their fourth win in 10 Anfield meetings with Everton.
“I changed Gerrard against Everton away a couple of years ago and I was criticised because I said we had to play with the brain and not always the heart,” he said.
“I think you have to do both and the players know that if you want to win games like these you have to play with both.
“The heart is really important, the passion will be there, but we also have to use the brain and do the right things at the right moments.
“The intensity is so high that playing good football is really difficult. You have to try to play well because you will have more chances if you do but at the end of the day you have to show intensity, determination and win.”
Meanwhile, Benitez has dismissed talk of Lokomotiv Moscow signing Benayoun this month, saying the Russians “do not have any chance” of capturing the Israeli.
