Trevoh Chalobah has been ever-present this term but is suspended after being sent off against Brighton & Hove Albion. Wesley Fofana remains sidelined due to the concussion he sustained at Lincoln City, and Tosin Adarabioyo is also not expected to be available due to a calf issue.

Levi Colwill, meanwhile, is a long-term absentee after undergoing knee surgery in August.

That leaves Benoit Badiashile, Jorrel Hato and Josh Acheampong as the obvious central defensive options, though Hato and Acheampong have played much of their football at full-back. Whatever combination Maresca picks will be our fifth central defensive partnership in ten fixtures so far in 2025/26.

‘It’s difficult but we trust everyone we have here,’ said Maresca during his pre-match press conference at Cobham.

‘If you can go with the same two, or change one after four or five games, it’s much better. The more you play together, the better the relationship gets. Sometimes you don’t even need to speak on the pitch, they can understand each other immediately.

‘When you continue to change, it’s more difficult, but it’s more difficult against everyone, not just Liverpool. After the red card [against Brighton], we played with Hato and Josh. Both are top defenders and will do a fantastic job for this club.’

If Maresca opts for Badiashile and Hato, that will mean two left-footed players in the heart of our defence. It's not common, but the Blues head coach pointed to our victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last season as proof that results against strong opposition can still be achieved.

He said: ‘If you remember last year, when Wes was injured, we played a few games with Benoit and Levi - Tottenham away and some more games.

‘So, it's not just about right and left [footers]. For sure, if you can have right and left-footed defenders, it’s much better. But we have shown we can also play with two left.’