Liverpool aren't exactly in cruise control heading into the second leg of their tie with Hearts, largely due to an underwhelming performance by a patchwork eleven in Edinburgh. Part of that selection was down to City's visit three days later, but it was also an indictment of the weaknesses left in Brendan Rodgers' squad, particularly in a midfield that conspired to produce a shaky display.
So with an three-match run at Anfield, Rodgers is apparently looking to boost the quality in his squad to ensure progress, with assurances that there'll be roles for a number of players who weren't involved last Thursday. "I will be going with a strong team against Hearts. I took the opportunity last week to recuperate a few players - some of whom had a long summer playing in other competitions. Some of those who weren't involved in the first leg will be part of the squad for this game."
Just how strong the eleven is remains to be seen, but with questions surrounding the futures of a number of players that were involved at Tynecastle Stadium, it seems the team sheet we see today will more closely resemble the one we saw against City. In a perfect scenario that leads to a relatively easy go of things tonight, with controlled run-outs for those who still aren't fully fit and low impact-stuff ahead of Arsenal's visit on Sunday.
Little has been perfect in Liverpool's world of late, however, so the best we can expect is that regardless of who's involved, tonight will see the club advance to the group stage.