Liverpool v Chelsea: Premier League – live

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Alexander Isak returns for Liverpool, but only as a named sub. The exciting 17-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha starts. Giorgi Mamardashvili is also back from injury and takes over from Freddie Woodman in goal. Florian Wirtz is ill and misses out altogether. And there’s still no Mohamed Salah, with time running out for the hamstrung living legend to make his Anfield curtain call. It’s Brentford in a fortnight’s time or bust.

Chelsea make a switch between the sticks too. Robert Sanchez picked up a head injury after colliding with Morgan Gibbs-White at Nottingham Forest and makes way for Filip Jorgensen. Should anything happen to the stand-in, the 21-year-old USA international Gaga Slonina will make his Chelsea debut. Levi Colwill makes his first start of the season after a long-term knee injury.

The teams

Liverpool: Mamardashvili, Jones, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez, Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Frimpong, Gakpo, Ngumoha.
Subs: Woodman, Gomez, Isak, Chiesa, Robertson, Nyoni, Morrison, Wright, Ndiaye.

Chelsea: Jorgensen, Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella, Hato, Caicedo, Santos, Fernandez, Palmer, Pedro.
Subs: Slonina, James, Acheampong, Adarabioyo, Chalobah, Lavia, Eboue, Kavuma-McQueen, Delap.

Referee: Craig Pawson
VAR: Tony Harrington

Preamble

Rubberneckers assemble! At the end of this game, chances are someone, somewhere is going to be fuming. Fuming and raging and throwing a tanty, because neither of these teams are in a good place, and things could get gnarly if and when it gets even worse. If Chelsea lose, it’ll be seven league defeats on the bounce, a run of misery suffered just once before in their history, and that 74 years ago, so imagine the ire if that transpires. But should they snap that run against Liverpool, an abject shower at Old Trafford last weekend losing their fifth match in eight, it’ll be the home fans telling each other, and the phone-ins, and the internet, exactly how they see it. Oh my. So whoever you support, whether or not you have any skin in the game, an afternoon of wild emotional tumult stretches out ahead of us all. Kick-off is at 12.30pm BST. It’s on!