It has been confirmed that Liverpool’s impending FA Cup tie with Aston Villa this evening will go ahead as planned.
The fixture was up in the air after the West Midlands club announced a COVID-19 outbreak at their training ground yesterday.
Confirmed: Aston Villa will play Liverpool in the #FACup third round tonight. Game goes ahead
— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) January 8, 2021
The latest update means that Jurgen Klopp’s men will likely face an inexperienced side at Villa Park tonight, with Dean Smith’s seniors kept away in a separate bubble.
If the German was tempted to field a few of his regular first-teamers in the 3rd round of the FA Cup, recent suggestions will certainly tempt the Liverpool boss to provide some much-needed rest for his usual XI.
We’re expecting to see fringe players like Taki Minamino and Xherdan Shaqiri given the nod for certain, along with the likes of Academy graduates Nathaniel Phillips, Caoimhin Kelleher and Rhys Williams.
However, some may fairly wonder whether the upcoming tie would be a perfect opportunity to get our normal front-three on the scoresheet ahead of the mouth-watering clash with Manchester United.
We wouldn’t be surprised if Klopp rests his forwards for this one, but we’d love to see them get a few minutes (and goals) at Villa, at the very least.