A request from Liverpool to have police officers stationed on bridges along the route their team bus takes to Manchester tonight has been turned down.
The club, wary of reprisals after Manchester City’s coach was bombarded with missiles before last week’s match at Anfield, lodged the appeal in a meeting ahead of the Champions League quarter-final second leg.
It was rejected, although traffic officers will monitor the situation and act on any signs of suspicious behaviour.
The move comes amid growing fury at City over Merseyside Police’s role in the events of last Wednesday, when their coach was attacked in Liverpool.