Liverpool is back in Premier League action over the weekend against Arsenal, with Andoni Iraola facing some huge decisions over his team to face the champions
Liverpool's jam-packed fixture schedule continues as the Reds, fresh from a win over Chelsea in midweek, quickly turn their attention back to the Premier League.
If wins over Brighton and Chelsea were not enough to test Andoni Iraola and his group of players, the next encounter is a clash with the champions, Arsenal.
It's the sort of match that will truly test the team's capabilities to the fullest, as the manager balances the busy run of games with putting out a team capable of standing up to the challenges ahead.
That may lead to some brutal decisions when the team news drops, particularly surrounding youngster Trey Nyoni. The midfield ace has been impressive in the early weeks of the season, albeit in a slightly more reserved capacity than other academy stars such as Rio Ngumoha and Lewis Koumas.
The latest of those quality displays came against Chelsea in midweek, as the 19-year-old was given another chance to start and prove that he could make an impact.
Nyoni did just that, almost running the show for Liverpool, despite being one of the younger heads out on the field. He showed an ability to step in and break up counter-attacking opportunities, while his quality on the ball helped his side dominate, particularly in the early stages of the encounter.
It's no surprise that Ngumoha said "the sky is the limit" for his teammate after the game, with the Reds seemingly having yet another quality youngster on their hands.
However, such is the reality of the game at the top level, he may well need to be dropped for the coming match. Nyoni is quite clearly a player for the present and the future, but against Arsenal, it may be down to the senior stars to step up when it counts against quality opposition.
Alexis Mac Allister, who was largely rested in midweek, is in line to start alongside Ryan Gravenberch in a midfield pairing, while Florian Wirtz seems likely to reprise the attacking midfield position.
Iraola is also likely to provide an update on Dominik Szoboszlai's injury status ahead of the clash with Arsenal, after his recent unavailability due to a hamstring issue. The Hungarian international was likely to mis out against the Gunners, but if he is available, that is yet another option who is likely to be ahead of Nyoni.
That may come as something of a brutal decision for the midfield prodigy, who could well end up being the long-term future of the central ranks for the club moving forward. However, much like Ngumoha, it's all about managing when and where those moments occur at such a delicate stage of development.
The time will come for Nyoni to be involved even more regularly and in the biggest games of all, but that time probably won't be this Sunday.
It remains to be seen whether Iraola will make such a difficult decision, but it's one that he should regrettably make.
