Liverpool face the unique task of playing two matches in two continents in two days this week, the first of which sees them travel to Aston Villa in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup.

With all of the star names in Qatar for the Club World Cup, it will be left for Under-23s manager Neil Critchley to select a side that he, if not most, will be familiar with.

It will be the only match this season that the runaway Premier League leaders enter as overwhelming underdogs as their youngsters attempt to pull off a remarkable achievement to keep the club fighting on all fronts.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how Critchley could line his side up for the contest.

Out: Dejan Lovren (thigh), Joel Matip (knee), Fabinho (ankle), Nathaniel Clyne (knee)
Doubtful: Rhian Brewster (ankle)

As expected, Jurgen Klopp has taken all of the fit first-team squad with him to Qatar, but those left behind are not entirely inexperienced at this level.

Harvey Elliott, Rhian Brewster, Ki-Jana Hoever, Caoimhin Kelleher, Pedro Chirivella, Herbie Kane and Sepp van den Berg have all featured in the EFL Cup already this season and should start on Tuesday.

Elliott and Brewster were both given the weekend off for the Under-23 team in a strong hint that they will start, as they have in both of Liverpool's matches in the competition so far this term, although the latter will first need to pass a late fitness test on an ankle injury.

Curtis Jones only played half of Saturday's 1-1 draw against Chelsea Under-23s, but he has been included in the squad for the Club World Cup along with Neco Williams, who was on the bench in the Premier League for the first time at the weekend.

At 22, Chirivella is the oldest player in line to feature for Liverpool in this match, with eight of the above predicted XI still in their teenage years.