Already confirmed as Group E winners, Liverpool should give a host of fringe players an opportunity to shine as they visit Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise in Europa League play on Thursday.
The Reds have already mathematically secured their seeded knockout-stage spot, sitting four points above second-placed Toulouse, and thus Jurgen Klopp can use this chance to rotate his squad.
With Liverpool leading the Premier League table, rest for their biggest stars like Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah will be critical as the fixture list remains bloated throughout the rest of the season. There is also the small matter of a game against Manchester United at Anfield three days later.
Their Belgian opponents will be thrilled at that, knowing they must win and Toulouse must lose for them to qualify. Regardless of the other Group E match, points for Union Saint-Gilloise here would at the very least ensure they remain involved in European action, as they would drop down to the Europa Conference League if they maintain their third position.
MORE: Watch UEFA Europa League in the United States on Paramount+
Union Saint-Gilloise vs Liverpool live stream, TV channel
| TV channel | Streaming | |
| USA | — | Paramount+ |
| UK | TNT Sports 2 | discovery+ |
| Australia | — | Stan Sport |
| Canada | — | DAZN |
What time does Union Saint-Gilloise vs Liverpool kick off?
This Europa League group-stage match at Lotto Park kicks off on Thursday, December 14 at 6:45 p.m. local time in Anderlecht, Belgium.
Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories around the globe:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA/Canada | Thu, Dec. 14 | 12:45 p.m. ET |
| USA/Canada | Thu, Dec. 14 | 9:45 a.m. PT |
| UK | Thu, Dec. 14 | 5:45 p.m. GMT |
| Australia | Fri, Dec. 15 | 4:45 a.m. AEDT |
Union Saint-Gilloise vs Liverpool lineups, team news
Unlike their Premier League opponents, Union Saint-Gilloise should deploy a first-choice lineup knowing they must win to both ensure they remain in Europe and also have a chance at qualifying for the knockout stage.
They will be missing midfielder Charles Vanhoutte who is suspended for yellow-card accumulation, as 18-year-old Noah Sadiki comes in as his replacement. Kevin Mac Allister takes the field, having played against his brother Alexis in the return fixture but missing out on that matchup this time around due to Alexis's injury.
Union's creativity will come from 25-year-old Cameron Puertas, a former Swiss youth international who has 15 assists on the season in 25 matches across all competitions.
Union Saint-Gilloise starting lineup (3-5-2): Moris (GK) — K. Mac Allister, Burgess, Machida — Lapoussin, Lazare, Puertas, Sadiki, Castro-Montes — Amoura, Nilsson.
Liverpool have a long injury list, as Andrew Robertson, Joel Matip, and Thiago are all missing with various fitness concerns, while Alexis Mac Allister will miss the chance to play against his brother again due to injury. Stefan Bajcetic is expected to return to the fold soon, but is not quite ready yet.
Alisson returned from injury to retake his goalkeeper position against Crystal Palace last time out but will likely see the bench as Caoimhin Kelleher gets another chance in net. Players who could be given a chance here include Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, Ben Doak, and Jarrell Quansah alongside a few other youngsters who have seen fringe time this season.
Liverpool starting lineup (4-3-3): Kelleher (GK) — Bradley, Konate, Quansah, Chambers — C. Jones, Endo, Elliott — Doak, Gakpo, K. Gordon.
