A patchwork side heads to Austria

Andoni Iraola has named one of Liverpool's youngest ever Champions League starting XIs for tonight's clash against Austrian champions LASK at the Raiffeisen Arena, with kick-off set for 5.45pm. Kostas Tsimikas leads the side out as captain, starting in the Champions League for the first time since January, in a lineup that reflects just how stretched this squad currently is.

The injury list that was already testing Iraola's patience has grown longer still after the international break. Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo have all joined longer-term absentees on the sidelines, meaning the head coach is juggling pieces rather than picking from strength. Ryan Gravenberch, controversially dismissed during Sunday's 3-0 home defeat to Manchester City, is available this evening as Premier League suspensions do not carry over into European competition.

The pressure lands on Barcola and Wirtz

With the recognised frontline unavailable, the burden falls squarely on Bradley Barcola and Florian Wirtz to provide the spark. The pair cost a combined £239m and neither has found the net in competitive football this season, with Wirtz's solitary assist the only direct contribution between them. Sunday was a tough watch for both, tasked with carrying Liverpool's attack and finding it heavy going throughout.

Iraola has made clear he is not losing faith. The three absent forwards have accounted for eight of Liverpool's 11 goals in all competitions this term, and the head coach acknowledged the scale of the problem before offering his support to the men filling in. "It's true that Cody, Alex and Dom are our top scorers this season," he said. "They have also been the ones playing more in those positions and now we don't have them. We need other players to give us those numbers. We trust the players we have now to play in those positions." On Barcola and Wirtz specifically, he added: "They have had good games and bad games this season like everyone else. We know their level and we know they will give us good performances."

Young talent gets its moment under the lights

If there is a silver lining to the absentee list, it is that a handful of young players get a proper Champions League stage to perform on. Trey Nyoni, Rio Ngumoha and Lewis Koumas all feature in the starting XI, with Ngumoha handed his first start in the competition. Virgil van Dijk is rested and listed among the substitutes, a pragmatic call given the schedule ahead.

The confirmed starting lineup reads: Alisson; Frimpong, Araujo, Jacquet, Tsimikas; Nyoni, Gravenberch; Ngumoha, Wirtz, Barcola; Koumas. Liverpool arrive in form in Europe at least, having beaten Atletico Madrid 2-1 at Anfield on matchday one. Iraola was direct about what he wants from the trip. "We won the first game against Atletico Madrid and we want to win the second one so we put ourselves in a better position," he told Canal+. LASK are a formidable proposition on home soil, and the Raiffeisen Arena will be lively enough, but if Wirtz and Barcola can finally find their rhythm on a European stage, tonight might just be the night things begin to click.

What to watch for when the whistle blows

This is only the second time LASK have hosted a match in the Champions League proper, which tells you something about how unusual a setting this is. For Liverpool's younger contingent, the unfamiliarity of the occasion is part of what makes it significant. For Barcola and Wirtz, it is a chance to answer questions that have been growing louder since Sunday.

A win tonight would put Liverpool in a strong early position in the league phase and, more immediately, ease the pressure that has been building on a squad dealing with far too much at once. Whether this patchwork XI has enough quality to deliver three points in Austria is the question that matters, and by 7.45pm we will have our answer.