Liverpool is aiming to bounce back from Saturday's shock Premier League defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest, but it won't be easy away to AC Milan.
Arne Slot will certainly be happy about having another match so soon after the weekend's shock result, but he might have preferred an easier tie than a trip to the San Siro. That's exactly what he's got, though, and a win at one of soccer's greatest arenas would be the perfect tonic for the Dutchman.
Slot rejected suggestions that his reluctance to rotate his players was the reason behind the loss to Forest . But given the games are starting to come thick and fast for Liverpool , he might not have a choice but to make changes.
Alisson got nowhere near Callum Hudson-Odoi's winning goal at Anfield but that's because the strike was so good, and there's no doubt that he will start in Milan, particularly after he was selected to field questions in the UEFA press conference on Monday.
Trent Alexander-Arnold did not have his best day against Forest but Conor Bradley was run ragged by Hudson-Odoi after coming off the bench and it would be cruel to task the youngster with neutering the mercurial Raphael Leao.
Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk is the center-back pairing of choice for Slot and one suspects the duo will line up alongside each other, with Andy Robertson rounding out the back four.
Ryan Gravenberch has been a revelation as a deep-lying midfielder and should retain his spot in the team - his performance was one of the few positives to come out of Saturday's game.
Alexis Mac Allister has already been effectively confirmed as a guaranteed starter by Arne Slot, who said in his pre-match press conference that the Argentine could play 60 to 90 minutes against Milan.
Slot was also asked about Dominik Szoboszlai ahead of the game and praised the Hungarian's performances so far, but spoke about the need for him to improve his attacking output.
"He's been important for us, especially until now, when we don't have the ball," Slot said. "He's been outstanding in his pressing game, and something that we have to work on with him is that he's more involved in scoring goals and creating chances. Last season he scored three and his numbers need to go up, but I'm really happy with how he's done until now. I'm sure he will score more goals for us."
What better place for Szoboszlai to score his first goal of the season than at the San Siro?
Mohamed Salah had a shocker over the weekend but that's exactly why he should keep his place in the team. He'll be frothing at the mouth and desperate to put things right, and he's proven himself time and time again to be the man for the big occasion.
Two players who should be given a breather, though, are Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota. Diaz was clearly tired from his exploits with Colombia against Forest, and is unlikely to be 100 per cent against Milan, while Jota is goalless since the opening game of the season.
That in itself is not a great concern, but the Portuguese's injury record is sketchy, and with a lack of depth in the striking department, it's important that he is managed carefully. Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo should be the beneficiaries.
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