Liverpool return to action on Boxing Day with the early evening trip to Lancashire to face off against Burnley in the Premier League, having dropped points across their past two outings.
Indeed, Liverpool have been sublime this season and have blitzed into title-chasing form, but successive Anfield draws against Manchester United and Arsenal have prevented Jurgen Klopp's side from assuming pole position, currently one point behind the first-placed Gunners.
But it's all relative, and while recent efforts mark a missed opportunity, much action is still ahead, and the trip to Turf Moor provides an opening to start sculpting a noteworthy win streak.
Liverpool team news vs Burnley
Liverpool's mounting injury list is starting to pose something of a problem for Liverpool, with left-back Kostas Tsimikas forced off against Arsenal with a suspected broken collarbone; Andrew Robertson is still weeks away from his return from shoulder surgery.
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Elsewhere, Tuesday's clash comes too soon for Alexis Mac Allister and Diogo Jota, while Luis Diaz appears to have picked up a knee injury last time out, though Klopp did stress that initial fears of a big blow have been eased.
Further, Spanish midfielders Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic are still sidelined, neither having played in the Premier League this term, youngster Ben Doak is out following surgery and Joel Matip is expected to miss the remainder of the campaign after rupturing his ACL against Fulham earlier in December.
Why Darwin Nunez must start vs Burnley
With Diaz out of form and now out of fitness, it's likely that the Reds will boast a frontline consisting of Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo, with Mohamed Salah of course taking position on the right wing.
Salah, aged 31, had Oleksandr Zinchenko munching dust as he bypassed the Arsenal defender to restore parity last weekend, rifling in a strike to clinch his 16th goal of the season.
It goes without saying that he is Klopp's prized forward, utterly mesmerising in his machine-like pursuit of goals and assists, and as Liverpool chase down their second Premier League trophy this year, the Egyptian's continuing presence in the attack will hold more than a little sway over the outcome.
But as important as he may be, today's encounter could be Nunez's time in shine, with the Uruguayan forward desperate to snap a 12-match goalless run.
Signing from SL Benfica for a club-record fee rising to £85m in 2022, Nunez is principally a centre-forward but has been known to be featured out wide, and this is something that must be considered against Burnley, allowing Cody Gakpo to star as the focal frontman.
The £140k-per-week striker has remained effective and fearsome despite his recent profligacy though, with his performance against West Ham United one week ago showcasing the myriad qualities that have won the Reds fanbase over.
Deployed on the left wing, the 6 foot 1 Nunez created four key passes and proved to be an all-round menace as his side advanced to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup with a resounding 5-1 victory. Observe, for example, this defence-splitting pass to set Curtis Jones on his way to score from an acute angle.
Klopp once described the maverick as "unstoppable", and while this is not always the case with his prolificness, Nunez is a player of many skills and he will be the perfect weapon to unleash against Burnley, who will not be able to contain his energy and incisiveness down the channel.
