Liverpool's sparkling academy players have stolen headlines and played defining parts over the past two weeks following a spate of alarming injuries, but Saturday's trip to Nottingham Forest will present a tough test of a different kind.
Over one week ago, a makeshift Liverpool team recovered from going behind before half-time against Luton Town in the Premier League, but the Reds were buoyed by a roaring Anfield crowd.
On Sunday, Anfield South was in deafening voice as Jurgen Klopp engineered an incredible Carabao Cup final victory over Chelsea, Wembley enveloped by the club and its supporters' belief.
And then this week, 18-year-old forwards Lewis Koumas and Jayden Danns shared the spoils as the Reds rebuffed wasteful Southampton on Merseyside, advancing to the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Nuno Espirito Santo's hosts will welcome a likely youthful-looking Liverpool with voluble adversity. Battling the threat of relegation, the Tricky Trees will indeed make life difficult.
Liverpool team news
The majority of Liverpool's absentees will remain out of contention tomorrow afternoon, though Klopp did offer supporters some respite on that front by confirming that Darwin Nunez and Domink Szoboszlai are "back in training" after respective issues.
The same, however, cannot be said for Mohamed Salah, who has been ruled out of Saturday's contest but will be expected to return to first-team training next week.
Wataru Endo and Andy Robertson are also on the brink of receiving the green light, but given the former's knock suffered in a gruelling encounter against Chelsea last week, he will be unlikely to start, paving the way for Bobby Clark to play from the opening once again.
Bobby Clark must start vs Nottingham Forest
With so little to choose from, Klopp has been forced into handing Clark a prominent role across recent encounters, but the 19-year-old midfielder has done little to dissuade his manager from further inclusion across the business end of the campaign.
Making his senior debut during Liverpool's 9-0 romping over Bournemouth in the early phase of the 2022/23 campaign, Clark could now be in line for his first Premier League start after coming off the bench against Luton and Chelsea and starting against Saints.
Minutes played
90'
Assists
1
Touches
70
Accurate passes
42/46 (91%)
Key passes
3
Dribble attempts
1/3
Possession lost
12x
Tackles
2
Clearances
2
During that performance, Clark showcased his ability across the different elements of the midfield game, crisp with his passing, active with 70 touches and chipping in defensively.
With so many key players set to be sidelined tomorrow afternoon, Klopp will require the dynamic midfielder to produce another performance of merit, and while he will be partnered by Alexis Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott, this central triad is not of the perfect balance and thus will require a mammoth collective effort.
That said, Mac Allister has been immense and has made 59 tackles in the Premier League this season, more than any other Liverpool player, while Elliott's creativity is off the charts when he's on his game and based on recent evidence the catalogue of injuries does not preclude a Reds side (with a teenager such as Clark in the mix) from securing three points.
The former Newcastle United youth could come up with a big performance but it's unlikely he will be joined from the opening whistle by either of Wednesday evening's goalscorers, Koumas or Danns, given Cody Gakpo's availability and the likelihood that one of Salah or Nunez will return to the fold – or perhaps even both if you're feeling particularly optimistic.
Moreover, fleet-footed left winger Luis Diaz was rested in midweek and will likely reclaim his spot in the lineup, with his success crucial to the visitors' chances of winning in Nottingham.
Why Luis Diaz should start against vs Nottingham Forest
Diaz, aged 27, has ebbed and flowed from form this season but this is perhaps understandable after an injury-ravaged 2022/23 term and the troubling familial situation that stifled his footballing progress back in the Autumn as a by-product.
Still, the 5 foot 11 whiz has been impressive recently and boasts three goals and three assists apiece across his past five Premier League contests, also scoring against Arsenal and Fulham in recent cup clashes.
One of the main sticking points behind Diaz's perceived loss of form for portions of the current campaign has been his reluctance to carry the ball himself, arguably his finest attribute.
Typically regarded as a fearsome breakneck vehicle down the left channel, the Colombian's dribbling output has decreased this season, with an average of 1.5 dribbles per game (52% success rate) in the Premier League compared to 1.9 per game (56% success rate) last term and a whopping 2.4 per game (63% success rate) during the 2021/22 season, his first on Merseyside.
Chelsea (H)
31/01/24
1/1 (100%)
Arsenal (A)
04/02/24
3/7 (43%)
Burnley (H)
10/02/24
2/3 (66%)
Brentford (A)
17/02/24
4/5 (80%)
Luton (H)
21/02/24
2/5 (40%)
Additionally, he won six of nine dribble attempts during last weekend's final against Chelsea, while the average across the five recent league fixtures listed above tallies at 2.4 successful attempts per game – the rate of his maiden year at Anfield.
His output is increasing as if by some intrinsic proliferation of nature and self-belief, returning to the essence of his success under Klopp's wing and finally stepping up as a talismanic force once again, especially important given the void left by the succession of injuries to the frontline.
His finishing could do with some polishing, there's no two ways about that, but the 27-year-old is an incredible outlet and his presence alone will provide Clark, who will be deployed on the left side of central midfield behind him, with a post to aim at when offering his creativity to the Reds attack.
Once described as a "livewire" by journalist Peter Hall, Diaz holds the tools to unlocking the Forest backline and he must return to the starting line-up to ensure that Liverpool win once again take another step toward a grand slam finish to an unforgettable season.
