The absence of their captain, Virgil van Dijk, who was shown the red card in the previous weekend's clash against Newcastle United, will be deeply felt. Additionally, center-back Ibrahima Konaté, who missed the previous week due to injury, won't be available. This leaves Jürgen Klopp with only Joël Matip and Joe Gomez as the senior defenders at his disposal. It's worth noting that Liverpool managed to keep defensive issues at bay for three games before this predicament.
Ryan Gravenberch, although seen training with the team on Saturday, won't be match-ready for Sunday's fixture, postponing the opportunity for Liverpool fans to witness his potential impact.
On the other side of the pitch, Aston Villa has been involved in two extra games against Europe Conference opponents this season. Impressively, they kept clean sheets in three out of their five matches across all competitions, a feat Liverpool has yet to achieve even once.
Nevertheless, all five of Villa's games have been high-scoring affairs, with at least one team netting three or more goals each time.
Liverpool's susceptibility to conceding early goals, combined with their evolving attacking prowess, sets the stage for an intriguing showdown on Saturday. It's a clash that promises excitement and unpredictability in equal measure.