Liverpool, after a disappointing draw against Bordeaux in their opening Europa League encounter, will be eager to seal their first three points of the competition as they face Swiss club Sion at Anfield on Thursday.
Brendan Rodgers, Liverpool manager, will come into the game as a confident unit after defeating Aston Villa 3-2 in their last EPL game. However, Liverpool are going to field a different team from the one that defeated Villa as youngsters and fringe players will once again get a chance to showcase their skills in front of their home crowd.
"Our approach to this game is how it's been in the competition – this is an opportunity for young players and an opportunity for players on the fringe of the team that aren't getting so many games. But it's also going to require players that have been playing. Ultimately for us the aim is to win the game," Liverpool official website quoted Rodgers as saying.
Joe Allen could make a comeback in the starting eleven against Sion.
On paper, Liverpool resemble a strong team and should not be troubled much by the Swiss club, Sion, who have lost their last two Swiss Super League games against Grasshopper Club Zurich and Vaduz Read of late.
However, Sion are at the top of Group B after they came up with a superb display against Rubin Kazan in their opening match, which they won 2-1. Sion players will drive inspiration from their huge win against Kazan with the hope of performing to their best at Anfield, where the home fans want their players to play some attractive football.
Liverpool, who have decided to rest Daniel Sturridge along with some star players for the big weekend derby game against Everton on Sunday, are expected to start upfront with Divock Origi, who has not received enough chances to impress. A decent showing against Sion will work wonders for his confidence.
Rodgers stated that the striker has to be amongst goals to compete for a place in the team. Origi is currently the fourth choice striker in the club behind Christian Benteke, Daniel Sturridge and Danny Ings.
"It just takes time to adapt. He's a young player who has excellent qualities. The real focus on Divock is goals in games, that is what he'll be judged on. He obviously hasn't played so much, but he understands where he is at - coming in to such a big club, he knows he'll be competing for places," said Rodgers.
Liverpool have a chance to go to the top of the table with a victory over Sion on Thursday, while the Swiss club will also be looking to create a major upset and inch closer to the next round of the competition, which is going to be a huge achievement, if they can do so.
Where to watch live
Liverpool vs Sion match has been scheduled for 9:05pm local time (12:35am IST, 8:05pm BST, 3:05pm ET). Viewers in India can watch the Europa League match on Ten Action with live streaming option on Ten Sports Live.
Viewers in the UK can watch the Liverpool vs Sion match live on BT Sport Europe with live streaming option on Watch BT Sport.
US viewers have the option of catching the Liverpool vs Sion game live on Fox Sports 1 USA; the match can also be live streamed online on FoxSoccer2Go.
Viewers in Switzerland can watch the game live on RTS Deux.
