Liverpool will host Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield this weekend as Premier League football returns after the international break.
Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool side have been inconsistent so far this season, with the Reds currently occupying eighth place in the table. In contrast, Brighton are flying high in fourth. This weekend's match offers Liverpool an opportunity to draw level on points with their south coast opposition, should they win.
Question marks will hover over Brighton's ability to keep up their early season form going into this match, with head coach Graham Potter - who many have credited for the team's successes - recently having departed the Amex for the allure of Chelsea. Roberto de Zerbi has been appointed as Potter's replacement, and the Italian will be hoping to pick up where Potter left off as he takes the reins in his first match.
The equivalent fixture last year saw Liverpool surrender a two goal lead to Brighton in a 2-2 draw, although the Reds responded to win 2-0 at Brighton later in the season.
Team News
Liverpool will be as close to a fully fit squad as they have been so far this season, with only Andrew Robertson, Curtis Jones, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita confirmed by Jurgen Klopp as being unavailable.
Centre-back Ibrahima Konate is back in full training, which will be a welcome boost to a Liverpool defence that has been fallible so far this season. Whether the Frenchman plays against Brighton will depend on Klopp's assessment of his performance in training.
Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota were all absent from Friday's training session, but these absences were merely precautionary and all three have the potential to feature on Saturday. Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara will both be available in midfield following their recent injuries.
Summer signing Calvin Ramsay is back in full training, but the Scotsman is not yet ready to make his debut. Trent Alexander-Arnold is therefore likely to start at right back, despite his recent form being questioned.
Brighton
de Zerbi has close to a fully fit squad available to him for his first match in charge. Enock Mwepu is the only player the Italian has definitively ruled out of contention, after the Zambian fell ill on international duty.
Adam Lallana is back in training after being injured for around a month. It is unlikely he'll be fit to start against his old club, so he will be hoping to feature off the bench.
The same goes for Tariq Lamptey, who picked up a knock on his debut Ghana duty, having recently switched international allegiances to the Black Stars.
Predicted Line-ups
Liverpool
GK - Alisson Becker
CB - Joel Matip
CB - Virgil van Dijk
LB - Kostas Tsimikas
CDM - Fabinho
CM - Harvey Elliott
CM - Thiago Alcantara
RW - Mohamed Salah
ST - Roberto Firmino
LW - Luis Diaz
Much of this Liverpool side picks itself, particularly due to fitness issues. With Robertson and Ramsay both ruled out at full-back, the only question mark in the defence is that of who will partner Virgil van Dijk. Konate's return to training is likely to have come a little too late, and a fit Joel Matip will probably be ahead of Joe Gomez in the pecking order.
Fabinho and Thiago are no-brainers to start in midfield when they are fit. There is a chance that the likes of Henderson or Fabio Carvalho could start over Harvey Elliott in the third spot, but the young Englishman has been a regular in the team so far this season and has done little to lose his place.
Mohamed Salah is as close to a definite starter as there is, but his partners in attack are not guaranteed. It seems that Klopp would like the opportunity to give Jota, Nunez and Diaz a rest if possible, but a lack of realistic options on the left wing means that Diaz will probably still start. Roberto Firmino can provide capable backup at striker, however, so he could get the nod to start ahead of Nunez and Jota.
Brighton
GK - Robert Sanchez
CB - Joel Veltman
CB - Lewis Dunk
CB - Adam Webster
RM - Solly March
LM - Pervis Estupinan
CM - Pascal Gross
CM - Alexis Mac Allister
CM - Moises Caicedo
ST - Leandro Trossard
ST - Danny Welbeck
de Zerbi has suggested that initially, he will not tinker too much with the system Potter already had in place. It is therefore likely - but not guaranteed - that Brighton will line up with three at the back, as they often did under Potter.
The likely three centre-backs would be Joel Veltman, Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster, although Veltman could well be employed as a right back should de Zerbi opt for a four at the back system.
Leandro Trossard occupied the left midfield/left wing-back role in Brighton's 5-2 victory over Leicester City last time out, but with Mwepu injured he could be moved to striker, with Pervis Estupinan returning to the side on the left. Solly March is likely to continue on the right with Lamptey's recent injury concerns.
The midfield three are almost certain to start, but Pascal Gross is another contender for the striker spot alongside Danny Welbeck should de Zerbi choose to keep Trossard on the left. Steven Alzate, Billy Gilmour and Lallana are other potential options for the midfield in this scenario.
Striker Deniz Undav has had limited minutes for Brighton so far this season, but he is another player with the potential to partner Welbeck in the absence of Mwepu. It is unlikely that de Zerbi will hand him his first start of the season away at Anfield, however.
Key Players
Thiago Alcantara
Anybody that regularly watches Liverpool will tell you that they are not the same side without Thiago. His ability to break lines with his passing is something of a rarity in Liverpool's squad.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is perhaps the only player at Jurgen Klopp's disposal with similar ability in this respect, but he has been in poor form of late. Thiago could therefore be the difference maker against a Brighton side that can be difficult to break down.
Alexis Mac Allister has been in incredible form recently, having scored a brace against Leicester City in his most recent appearance. The Argentinian also had the ball in the back of the net on a third occasion against the Foxes, but his spectacular strike was eventually disallowed.
Mac Allister has long been an important player for the Seagulls, but his early season form seems to suggest that he has now added a new level of productivity to his game, rendering him a formidable opponent for any side to have to deal with.
Should his form continue, the midfield battle could well be where this game is won and lost.
Match Details
Where is the game being played?
Anfield, Liverpool.
What time is kick-off?
15:00, Saturday October 1st.
How can I watch?
The match will not be broadcasted live in the UK, but highlights will be available on BBC's Match of the Day later in the evening.