Liverpool Face Lask in Champions League Clash As Manager Rotates Squad

Liverpool face Lask in an away Champions League fixture with kickoff set for 5.45pm BST, as manager Andoni Iraola chooses to rotate his starting lineup. Kostas Tsimikas captains the side for the match, while key players such as Virgil van Dijk, Milos Kerkez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Daniel Munoz start on the bench.

Team Lineups

Lask line up in a five-three-two formation featuring Jungwirth, Jorgensen, Mbuyamba, Alemao, Andrade, and Yvan Dibango at left wing-back. Their midfield and attack include Danek, Bogarde, Schopf, Lang, and Adeniran. Liverpool respond with a four-two-three-1 setup containing Alisson, Frimpong, Araujo, Jacquet, and Tsimikas in defense, alongside Gravenberch and Nyoni in midfield, and an attack featuring Barcola, Florian Wirtz, Ngumoha, and Koumas.

Squad Rotations and Injuries

Iraola explained that playing every three days means the team cannot use the same eleven players for every game, making this a good opportunity to rest Van Dijk. Lask are missing their star winger Moses Usor due to fitness issues after he lasted only twelve minutes in their recent Austrian Bundesliga match against Rapid Vienna. Left-back George Bello is also injured following that same game. Meanwhile, Liverpool must manage without several key absentees including Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo, and Dominik Szoboszlai.

Context

Lask qualified for this stage after winning the Austrian domestic double last season and overcoming a four-goal deficit to beat Celtic in qualifying. Liverpool enter this fixture following a one-nil opening league phase defeat to AEK Athens and ahead of a demanding Premier League trip to Brentford on Saturday.