Liverpool are scheduled to return to Champions League action later this month as they take on RB Leipzig in the round-of 16.
The Reds are due to travel to Germany on February 16, though that trip is currently in doubt due to travel restrictions because of the coronavirus pandemic, before hosting the Bundesliga outfit at Anfield on March 10.
Having signed Ben Davies and Ozan Kabak on transfer deadline day, but seen Takumi Minamino depart on loan to Southampton and Joel Matip ruled out for the rest of the season with ankle ligament damage, Jurgen Klopp’s 25-man squad will look a little different to the side that competed in the group-stages.
The German is allowed to register a maximum of three new players for the knockout-stages, but UEFA requiring updated squad lists to be submitted by midnight on Wednesday 3 February.
And the Liverpool boss is likely to make all three changes, though he still won’t be able to name a full 25-man squad due to the continental competition’s homegrown rules.
So how will the Reds squad look?
For the first half of the season, Liverpool named a 24-man squad for the group-stages that included the injured Virgil van Dijk, with squad lists submitted before he suffered his serious knee injury in the Merseyside Derby against Everton.
With the Reds still hoping the Dutchman can return before the end of the season, the 29-year-old is likely to retain his place in Klopp’s squad.
However, it is a different story for Joel Matip. With the Cameroonian ruled out for the season, he will make way as one of three players to drop out as Liverpool can make their changes.
Klopp has admitted Joe Gomez is unlikely to return this season too, but the Reds have nothing to lose by including him in their squad.
This is because the England international counts as one of Liverpool’s current three club-trained players, having spent three years on the club’s book between the ages of 15 and 21 having signed as an 18-year-old from Charlton Athletic.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Caoimhin Kelleher also count as club-trained players, but with the Reds required to name four such players to register a full 25-man squad, the lack of a fourth option limits them to 24 men. If Gomez is left off the squad-list due to his injury, they would be limited further to 23 players.
Now such an issue will swiftly be eradicated in years to come thanks to the presence of the likes of Curtis Jones, Neco Williams, Rhys Williams, Leighton Clarkson and Billy Koumetio.
The quintet all featured for Liverpool in the group-stages and that’s because they all qualify as List B players.
A player may be registered on List B if he is born on, or after, 1 January 1999 and has been eligible to play for the club concerned for any uninterrupted period of two years since his 15th birthday, with 16-year-olds allowed to be included if they have been on the club's books for the past two years.
As a result, Ozan Kabak does not qualify as a List B player, despite only being 20, as he has not spent two uninterrupted years at the club. The same reasoning prompted Harvey Elliott to be included in Liverpool’s squad as a home-grown player for the first half of the season, despite the 17-year-old moving to Blackburn Rovers on loan.
With Takumi Minamino departing on loan to Southampton and Matip being ruled out for the season, the duo are likely to make way so Klopp can register Kabak and fellow Deadline Day signing Ben Davies.
While the Reds are unable to name their full quota of four club-trained players, Davies does boost their total of association-trained players with such players having to have been on another club's books in the same association for three years between the ages of 15 and 21.
Required to name four of each as their eight 'local' nominees to enjoy a full 25-man squad, the former Preston North End defender joins Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Elliott in the squad.
However, the latter is likely to drop out so Liverpool can make their third change and include Nat Phillips in their quota.
Klopp admitted the defender had been omitted for the first half of the season because the Reds had expected him to leave the club, but they will now be able to rectify that lack of foresight.
And while admittedly an extra association-trained player is little benefit for Liverpool’s Champions League squad, it will provide a welcome boost when it comes to naming their Premier League squad.
Liverpool’s Champions League squad in full
Goalkeepers: Alisson, Adrian, Caomhin Kelleher (CT)
Defenders: Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez (CT), Ozan Kabak, Kostas Tsimikas, Andy Robertson, Ben Davies (AT), Nat Phillips (AT), Trent Alexander-Arnold (CT)
Midfielders: Fabinho, Gini Wijnaldum, Thiago Alcantara, James Milner (AT), Naby Keita, Jordan Henderson (AT), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (AT), Xherdan Shaqiri
Attackers: Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, Divock Origi
Three players in
Ozan Kabak, Ben Davies, Nat Phillips
Three players out
Joel Matip, Takumi Minamino, Harvey Elliott
Named List B players
Vitezslav Jaros
Rhys Williams
Neco Williams
Yasser Larouci
Billy Koumetio
Curtis Jones
Elijah Dixon-Bonner
Ben Woodburn
Jake Cain
Leighton Clarkson
Paul Glatzel
Luis Longstaff
Layton Stewart
