LIVERPOOL FC’s owners will fly in to Merseyside this week as they attempt to restore the club’s battered image following the Luis Suarez race row.

Principal owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner had been expected to travel across to England ahead of the Carling Cup final on Sunday week.

But the Fenway Sports Group duo have brought forward their arrival and will head straight for Anfield to hold a series of meetings aimed at reminding people of their responsibilities to the club.

The owners are worried that Liverpool’s global brand suffered serious damage with Suarez’s refusal to shake hands with Patrice Evra at Old Trafford on Saturday, the first time the pair had met since the Uruguayan was found guilty of racially abusing the Manchester United defender.

Liverpool’s shirts sponsors Standard Chartered yesterday became the latest to criticise the incident by expressing their “concerns” to the club.

And FSG will tell senior Anfield figures that the succession of public relations calamities must not be repeated.

It is believed the owners were influential in Sunday’s public apologies from Suarez, Kenny Dalglish and managing director Ian Ayre, having been prompted into action by negative press in their United States homeland.
 Ayre also criticised Suarez for misleading them over his intentions in the pre-match handshake and said the 25-year-old had been told “his behaviour was not acceptable”.

The last 48 hours has seen a significant shift in the way in which Liverpool have dealt with the issue since Evra first made his allegations after the Premier League meeting at Anfield between Liverpool and Manchester United in October.

Nevertheless, shirt sponsors Standard Chartered yesterday issued a statement which read: “We were very disappointed by Saturday’s incident and have discussed our concerns with the club.”

Standard Chartered are almost halfway through an £81million four-year deal which is the most lucrative in British football.