On Thursday night, Liverpool takes on LASK at Anfield in an attempt to advance to the Europa League knockout stages.

On Thursday night, Liverpool takes on LASK at Anfield in an attempt to advance to the Europa League knockout stages.

Even though they played poorly against Toulouse the previous game, the Reds only need a point from their next two games to secure a spot in the next round, so there won’t be much pressure on them to win against the bottom-place Austrian team in Group E.

As Liverpool embarks on a rigorous December schedule that includes eight games, including three in a week at the beginning of the month, manager Jurgen Klopp will be willing to consider rotating his team on Thursday in order to maintain player fitness.

“Whoever is selected [to play tonight], the challenge remains the same and that is to carry on with the good work that has already been done,” Klopp wrote in his programme notes, hinting at potential changes.

“We knew going into the season that every member of the team, including the players, would need to step up when called upon, and this is especially true during a stretch of games that we will have a lot of.

“As always, we’ll accomplish this as a team, with each person contributing to the Liverpool collective. Not only is this the ideal approach, but it is the only one. I hope it turns out well enough tonight.

Regardless of Alisson’s injury, Caoimhin Kelleher was always going to start in goal for the Europa League match, and young players Jarell Quansah, Ben Doak, and possibly even Luke Chambers can expect to play here.

These three players made up the 25-man roster that trained on Wednesday in order to get ready for the match. Two additional young players who haven’t played yet this season but may see action at Anfield are also included in the squad.

Both forward Kylee Gordon and right back Conor Bradley advanced their comebacks during training, and both can play on Thursday.

Bradley, a 20-year-old international for Northern Ireland, hasn’t played since the summer due to a stress fracture in his back, but once healthy, he’s expected to cover for Trent Alexander-Arnold at right back.

Gordon, 19, has been out for more than a year and a half due to a pelvic problem. He is currently recuperating.

The forward, like Bradley, has played for the Under-21s this season as he works his way back to full fitness, but he has not yet been included in the senior team’s matchday squad.

When the England youth international joined the Reds from Derby in 2021, many predicted he would have a great future. He even made four appearances in the 2021–2022 season.

At the age of seventeen years and ninety-six days, he scored his first goal in the FA Cup against Shrewsbury, making him the second youngest player in history to score in that competition for Liverpool.

In light of the Reds’ desire to give star players like Mohamed Salah a much-needed break, Gordon, if healthy enough, may make his first-team debut against LASK more than 22 months after his last senior game.