Liverpool do not need drama right now, they need solutions. A 3-0 defeat to Manchester City has already done the damage to confidence, and the bigger issue is what comes next. Eight matches in 26 days leaves very little room for sentiment, recovery or overthinking. Andoni Iraola has to make practical decisions, quickly.

One of them looks straightforward. Trey Nyoni should start against LASK.

Credit for that line of thinking goes to Phil Thompson on the Official Liverpool FC Podcast, who made the case clearly after the City defeat. His argument is simple and sensible, and Liverpool’s current midfield situation makes it hard to dispute.

Dominik Szoboszlai is expected to miss the trip to Austria. Ryan Gravenberch, despite his red card against City ruling him out of the Brentford game, remains available in Europe and should obviously feature. Alexis Mac Allister, meanwhile, has played a heavy load and now looks like one of the few midfielders Liverpool simply cannot afford to lose.

That is where Nyoni comes in. Thompson said: “He [Nyoni] had a very good pre-season, impressed, passed the ball forward, got it crisp with his passing going forward, so he would be an option because Mac Allister has played so well this year, but it’s maybe time that he might need a rest to keep him ticking over.” He added: “I wouldn’t make too many changes. Trey is an obvious one to give him a start, because he’s looking as though he’s ready for that now at the moment.”

This is not about token minutes for a young player. It is about using the squad properly. Nyoni has already shown enough in limited action to suggest he can handle responsibility. Liverpool have effectively positioned him as part of the midfield solution this season, particularly with the squad carrying less margin for error than it would like.

If that trust is real, then this is the moment to act on it. There is no value in praising a player’s readiness and then waiting for an even bigger emergency before using him. A controlled European away game is exactly the sort of test that should tell Iraola whether he has another dependable option for the weeks ahead.

Mac Allister needs managing. Gravenberch needs minutes. Szoboszlai needs cover. Liverpool need energy. Put those facts together and the answer is clear enough. Nyoni should start against LASK, and if he performs, Liverpool may find that one of their immediate problems has a very workable answer.