Liverpool must play a strong team against COVID-struck Villa

Liverpool must play a strong side against Aston Villa.

The Birmingham side has experienced a COVID outbreak that’s impacted a large number of first-team players and staff – as per the BBC.

This means they’ll be forced to field a large number of U23 players, while U23 manager Mark Delaney will take charge of the game in the absence of Dean Smith.

After Aston Villa beat Liverpool 7-2 earlier in the season and put five past the Reds in their FA Cup encounter last season, Jurgen Klopp should play a strong side and put them back in their place.

Memories from that 5-0 victory over a Liverpool youth side will be fresh in fan’s memories and retribution would be a fine thing. Klopp decided not to start any senior players in that cup game after some tight scheduling meant the manager was in Qatar trying to string together an XI for the Club World Cup.

We’ve got some tricky recent history against the Villains, and we need to put that right. If Villa do resort to playing their U23 team, Klopp should still pick the senior players that need minutes in their legs.

That means Takumi Minamino, Divock Origi, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Curtis Jones and James Milner should all start. They can be complemented by several talented youngsters such as Neco Williams, Rhys Williams or Nat Phillips, but the core must be strong.

There could even be scope for one of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino or Sadio Mane to start. Maybe all three, given their lack of recent form and a nine-day break between this fixture and the Man Utd game.

This match could represent a fine moment for the misfiring front three to get back to form because Liverpool can’t afford to draw any more blanks.

What do you think, should Liverpool go hard against a weakened Villa?