Liverpool could reach the Champions League knockout stages with a game to spare this evening.
For the Reds' youngsters, though, the UEFA Youth League has become a somewhat less straightforward affair.
An injury-time loss at home to Genk last time out has left Barry Lewtas' side in a three-way scrap with the Belgians and RB Salzburg for top spot in Group E.
All three are on seven points with only first place progressing to the last 16, with the runners-up going through to a play-off round.
With the pitch at St Helens still deemed not ready, Liverpool entertain an already-eliminated Napoli on Wednesday at the Academy in Kirkby (kick-off 3pm).
Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones and Pedro Chirivella, who all trained with the first team at Melwood, are expected to be involved, along with Rhian Brewster.
Ki-Jana Hoever, who missed the last two UEFA Youth League games while on international duty with Holland at the Under-17 World Cup, is primed for a return.
And Lewtas has urged his players to bounce back from their Genk defeat and ensure a likely group decider at Salzburg next month.
“We haven't had many off days but that was one of them,” he says of the loss to the Belgians. “We have to put it down to experience.
“It looked like we were going to get a rare 0-0 which doesn't happen often, but Genk were always a threat on the break.
“It's a tough group. Genk have a real good reputation of getting players into their first team and Salzburg are the biggest team in Austria.
“So we knew it was going to be a tough group. But we have a good group of lads and it was important we didn't get too down after the loss against Genk.
“We have this home game against Napoli to come and hopefully we can set up an exciting last game in Salzburg.”
Napoli, who trained at the Academy on Tuesday night, held Liverpool to a 1-1 draw in the group opener in September, with Layton Stewart netting a late equaliser for the visitors.
For supporters who were unable to buy tickets for today's game – none are on sale at the Academy – UEFA.com are broadcasting the match live.
