Right, here we go then. The teams are heading out on to the pitch. Almost time to get this show on the road...

Gary O'Neil
Liverpool under-23’s assistant coach on BBC Radio 5 Live

When Jurgen Klopp turns up for an under-23s game, you can tell the lads have noticed.

Until you get close to working at a machine like Liverpool, seeing the level of the likes of Jordan Henderson and James Milner, the levels they perform at day in, day out, to get to where they are, it's a a real eye opener for the young lads who maybe haven't seen stuff like that before.

To get to that level, there are some real tough days ahead of you. You have to really put in the work and they get to see that playing with the first team.

Mark in Stockport: I have a weird thing for shirt number combined totals and Burnley's starting eleven is very uncommon tonight in that the only missing numbers from one to eleven are the numbers 4 and 7. Strangely OptaJoe says it is 47 years since Burnley won at Anfield. Omen?

Image source, PA Media

I have an issue with players not wearing the right shirt numbers to the position they play, Mark. Fabinho with 3, but he's not a left-back. Wijnaldum at 5? That's a centre-back number.

Image source, Getty Images

You can never doubt a Sean Dyche side's ability to grind results out when they have to. They've been punching way above their weight for a fair few years now.

However, while they've never been able to regularly blow other top-flight teams away, their return of nine goals in 17 games so far is a big worry. When you've netted fewer times than a team with five points all campaign, you know something isn't clicking.

Chris Wood would ordinarily be relied upon to get into double figures for the season, but his three so far suggests he's on course to fall short of that. Matej Vydra also has three, but nobody else has scored more than once.

So where has it gone wrong? And how does it get put right?

Dean Woodward: Hendo out? Honestly, I think I would rather smash a mirror, open an Egyptian sarcophagus and step on a crack rather than play CB for Liverpool at the moment.

Since Mo Salah joined Liverpool in 2017, the Reds have won four of their five Premier League games without both him and Roberto Firmino in the starting XI (D1), including two wins over Burnley.

Image source, Reuters

NH: Origi to get a hat-trick with Shaq and Thiago behind him and no Salah to take all his shots.

In case you were wondering, it's grim weather in Liverpool. Wet and windy. As it is in pretty much every part of the country right now. Cheers Christoph.

Mark Lawrenson
BBC football expert

Burnley were playing pretty well at the turn of the year but they have just lost two on the spin against Manchester United and West Ham and it is hard to see them getting anything at Anfield either.

Prediction: 2-1

Lawro's full predictions v Cassia bassist Lou Cotterill

Before folk open their Twitter app and type away in righteous indignation, and in true balanced BBC style, here are some positives...

The Reds are unbeaten in 68 Premier League home matches, winning 55 and drawing 13. 68!

They're fourth in the Premier League and a win tonight would leave them three points off top.

They still have a pretty red hot squad, even with a lot of injuries and some superstars benched.

There are plenty of fans that would snap your hand off to be in Liverpool's situation, for sure.

OK, I'm going to get all the slightly negative Liverpool facts out of the way in one go, so it doesn't feel like I'm beating them unnecessarily. Here we go...

• Liverpool have 34 points after 18 league matches. At the halfway stage last season, the Reds were on 55 points and had a 13-point lead at the top of the table.
• They are winless in four Premier League fixtures, scoring one goal in total.
• Liverpool's goalless home draw against Manchester United ended their 42-match Premier League scoring streak at Anfield.

Don't shoot the messenger.

Burnley do have recent form of taking something away from Anfield.

The only points dropped by Liverpool in 19 matches at home last season was in their 1-1 draw with the Clarets on 11 July.

Looking further back than that makes for less comfortable reading...

The Clarets have won only one of their past 26 away matches at Anfield in all competitions and their 2-0 victory at Turf Moor in 2016 is their only win against Liverpool in 12 Premier League matches.

Stan: Considering the importance of this match, this is a huge gamble. Firmino I understand but no Salah, wow. Certainly something is going on within the squad and Jurgen is trying to make a statement that no-one is bigger than club.

Burnley

Burnley manager Sean Dyche: "Dwight McNeil can collect it deep and carry it forward and his all round game continues to improve.

"Early season, we had a number of injuries and we settled down the defence. We have created better chances and have to find the balance. We have 14 points from the last nine games which is good after a tough start. We want the goals to come quicker.

"They still have some very good players and are putting out a strong side, they are a decent outfit and we would be naive to think they are not.

"Jurgen Klopp has changed it often in the past but it is still a very good side and some good players to activate from the bench."

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp: "We have to use the quality in the squad, playing every three days and we have to make changes. Jordan Henderson felt (something) a little bit and we hope it is not serious and that is why he is not in the squad. It will be a very intense game tonight and have good options n the bench.

"We planned to play with Hendo and Fabinho again but Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood fight with all they have and if they don't get the ball they go down, it is tricky. It is about how the defence deals with these specific situations.

"It is only a few games (winless run), we want to score goals and win games. It is not that we played outstandingly good and were unlucky but we can only change by doing and doing and staying calm in front of goal.

"It is not easy in this business, everybody talks about you everyday. I am really not worried. I want us to play well tonight when it is usually difficult to play good, they can annoy you and can be dangerous on the counter-attack."

Mark Lawrenson
BBC football expert on BBC Radio 5 Live

Henderson is a blow. Salah and Firmino have not quite been at it, that is in relation to being brilliant for three years.

Sometimes it doesn't do you any harm being rested. This is a tough game and tonight will be no different.

This is an interesting looking Liverpool team. They are not playing that well at the moment but that happens.

Don't rule them out of anything just yet.

While you continue to mull over those teams, there is some potential bad news for one of Liverpool's rivals. The Mirror are reporting that Man City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne could be out for three weeks, external with an injury picked up against Aston Villa yesterday.

Not ideal for Pep Guardiola and his team.