Former Liverpool defender Alan Hansen has called on Liverpool and Manchester United supporters to put their "animosity aside" for this weekend's head-to-head at Anfield.

The arch rivals face off in Merseyside on Sunday, a week after the Hillsborough independent panel revealed that Liverpool fans were not to blame for the death of 96 of their own supporters during a tragic crush at Sheffield Wednesday's ground in 1989.

While a host of clubs around the country paid tribute to the 96 that had lost their lives 23 years ago, it was reported that a small minority of United supporters sang offensive chants regarding the disaster during the Red Devils' 4-0 win over Wigan Athletic at the weekend.

"At Anfield on Sunday, the concern is that a minority will once again generate the wrong headlines and damage the name of the club that they claim to support," Hansen writes in The Telegraph.

"But Liverpool and United are bigger than that and, hopefully, the supporters will realise that when it comes to reflecting on the events of the past week in relation to Hillsborough.

"If Liverpool decide that it would be appropriate to hold a minute's silence before the game, football has shown in the past that even the biggest rivals can put their animosity aside when the occasion demands it."

Meanwhile, reports have emerged claiming that both clubs will meet to discuss the conduct of their fans ahead of the Premier League encounter.