Liverpool will be without two key players for the visit of Ligue 1 side Lille in the Reds' penultimate Champions League game of the league phase. Diogo Jota and Joe Gomez are absent from Arne Slot's table-toppers as they look to all-but confirm a top two position in the new-look competition.

In doing so they would need to end the French club's run of 21 matches unbeaten and although they will be outsiders for the visit to Anfield, Bruno Génésio's side have proved they are no pushovers in this competition - beating Real Madrid earlier in the campaign, thanks to Jonathan David's penalty. Lille sit eighth in the table, one point clear of Borussia Dortmund, in the final automatic qualification place that will see them avoid a playoff to reach the round of 16.

Liverpool will be buoyed after their dramatic 2-0 win over Brentford last time out in the Premier League. Darwin Nunez's stoppage-time double saw the Reds stretch their lead to six points at the top, ensuring that the Uruguayan got a much-needed confidence boost.

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Barcelona are currently the nearest challengers to the Reds as they sit three points behind with a superior goal-difference. Following Hansi Flick's side it is Arsenal, with Liverpool having a five-point cushion, but for Barca, they travel to Benfica with the Portuguese side looking to enhance their chances of sneaking into an automatic round of 16 qualification place.

Gomez has been a long-term absentee by comparison to Jota after he limped off during the emphatic win over West Ham United at the end of 2024. The forward's injury has come to the bemusement of many after failing to feature against Brentford following his heroics against Nottingham Forest.

Slot confirmed that Jota will be out for weeks, as opposed to months, but the latest injury blow comes in a frustrating line of setbacks throughout his recent Liverpool career.

"Maybe Diogo is just a bit earlier than Joe," the Dutchman said. "And both of them are expected to be back with us in weeks, not in months.

"But I've said many times before that the last stage of rehab is the most difficult one, or the one that can sometimes add a few days or not. Diogo overloaded a certain muscle a bit."

The pair were the two high-profile absentees from the open training session ahead of the Champions League outing. However, there were appearances for youngsters Jayden Danns, Tyler Morton, James McConnell and Trey Nyoni.

Danns could be included in his first European matchday squad since the Europa League quarter-final second-leg win over Atalanta in April 2024. The 19-year-old was on target in the Reds' FA Cup win over Accrington Stanley as he came off the bench to find the back of the net in their 4-0 triumph.

Due to UEFA's A and B list, Several members of the Liverpool senior squad – including Conor Bradley, Harvey Elliott and Jarell Quansah – are eligible but do not need to be included on List A due to their ages and club-trained status, unlike Rio Ngumoha who would need to be registered on the A list having joined from Chelsea, last September.

As a result, they have been named to List B, on which clubs can register an unlimited number of players during the season and update before each fixture.

UEFA’s regulations state: "A player may be registered on List B if he is born on or after 1 January 2003 and has, since his 15th birthday, been eligible to play for the club concerned for any uninterrupted period of two years, or a total of three consecutive years with a maximum of one loan period to a club from the same association for a period not longer than one year.

"Players aged 16 may be registered on List B if they have been registered with the participating club for the previous two years without interruption."

Full Liverpool squad available to face Lille

Goalkeepers: Alisson, Kelleher, Jaros.

Defenders: Van Dijk, Konate, Quansah, Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Tsimikas, Bradley.

Midfielders: Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Jones, Endo, Elliott, Morton, McConnell, Nyoni.

Forwards: Salah, Gakpo, Nunez, Chiesa, Diaz, Danns.