Liverpool v Southampton 11.18.17

10am ET, live in the US on NBC Sports Gold (uggggggh)

Last four head-to-head:
0-0 (h) 05.07.17
0-1 Southampton (h; League Cup) 01.25.17
0-1 Southampton (a; League Cup) 01.11.17
0-0 (a) 11.19.16

Last three matches:
Liverpool: 4-1 West Ham (a); 3-0 Maribor (h); 3-0 Huddersfield (h)
Southampton: 0-1 Burnley (h); 1-1 Brighton (a); 1-0 West Brom (h)

Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Salah 7; Firmino, Mané 3; Coutinho, Sturridge 2; Alex O-C, Henderson, Matip, Wijnaldum 1
Southampton: Gabbiadini 3; Davis 2; Austin, Boufal, Tadic, Yoshida 1

Referee: Mike Jones (LFC History) (WhoScored)

Guess at a line-up:
Mignolet
Gomez Matip Lovren Moreno
Wijnaldum Henderson Can
Salah Firmino Coutinho

Does... does Liverpool have an almost fully fit squad? And right after an international break?

Coutinho should be fit enough to start, having featured in Brazil's internationals. Mané will be checked on today, leaving early from the Senegal squad after the first match but with Liverpool seemingly not very worried. And Adam Lallana is available, for the first time this season.

It is a strange feeling. And I'm unsure how Liverpool will line up with almost everyone available. It's not something we've had to contemplate that often.

We can rule out Lallana starting, at least for another week or so – this ain't gonna be a "Mané will only play 20 minutes" thing. We can also probably rule out the 4-4-2 we saw before the break against West Ham; I wouldn't entirely dismiss the idea but it's probably hard to shoehorn everyone into that formation with Coutinho and Henderson back in the fold; Coutinho especially doesn't seem to have a place in that system. Whether Mané's fit decides the front three – either Coutinho plays there if he's not, or Coutinho plays in midfield with one of Henderson, Can, or Wijnaldum making way. And once Lallana returns, your guess is as good as mine. I can absolutely see Lallana in the role Oxlade-Chamberlain played at West Ham.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the pitch, don't get too shouty if Lovren returns in place of Klavan. He's usually preferred, no matter his greater propensity for massive hilarious errors, although that this match is against his old club may give Klopp a few more reservations. And given Southampton's complete lack of attacking desire in both league fixtures last season, I wouldn't be surprised to see Alexander-Arnold at right-back rather than Gomez, even if I'm wary of how the "ONE FULLBACK SITS. ALWAYS SITS." works with Trent rather than Joe.

As for the opposition. Southampton have been definitively mid-table so far this season. 13th in the league, only two points behind eighth but only four ahead of 17th. And while they've underperformed relative to last season, they're still very Southampton: 15th in goals scored but 7th in goals conceded, having let in six fewer goals than Liverpool.

Only Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Swansea, and Huddersfield have scored less than Southampton. Southampton have scored more than once in just one of the last nine league matches, in a 2-2 draw against Newcastle a month ago. But Southampton are getting shots; only Liverpool, City, Tottenham, and Arsenal average more per game. And they're not bad shots – Southampton are almost exactly league average in xG and take almost 60% of their shots from inside the box.

Four clean sheets in Liverpool's last six matches not withstanding, facing a side that probably should be scoring more than it has seems troublesome. Especially when Liverpool are winless against said side in their last five meetings, failing to score in each of last season's four. Liverpool had a combined 32 shots in the two league matches last season. Southampton had seven. Both matches ended 0-0.

And Southampton's XI will be a lot like that faced last season. Forster; Cedric, Hoedt, van Dijk, Bertrand; Romeu, Davis; Tadic, Boufal, Redmond; Gabbiadini. Maybe Yoshida rather than Hoedt at center-back; maybe James Ward-Prowse or Højbjerg in midfield rather than Boufal or Tadic, with Davis pushed further forward. Shane Long and Charlie Austin are likely substitutes off the bench, especially if Southampton are chasing the game. Their most notable summer signing, midfielder Mario Lemina, is out injured.

Liverpool are three games unbeaten, scoring at least three in all three. If we ignore the Tottenham match – let's all agree to ignore the Tottenham match – they've conceded just once in those last five games. And Liverpool, after an absolutely awful September trickling into October, are up to fifth, just four points off second.

The squad's almost fully fit. There are no more international breaks until March. Liverpool are slowly climbing the table in the league and are in first place in their Champions League group. It's time to go. And it starts against Liverpool's feeder squad, who Liverpool have they struggled against for more than a season.

Go.