Liverpool can make sure that they will be top at Christmas simply by avoiding defeat when they face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday lunchtime.

The champions returned to the summit with a last-gasp 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night but face a swift turnaround as they travel to South-East London for the opening match of gameweek 14.

Liverpool arrive without a win in their last five league away games, though, while Palace took points off Spurs themselves in their last home outing.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how Jurgen Klopp could line his side up for the contest.

Out: Thiago Alcantara (knee), Virgil van Dijk (knee), Joe Gomez (knee), Diogo Jota (knee), Kostas Tsimikas (knee), James Milner (hamstring), Xherdan Shaqiri (muscle)
Doubtful: Joel Matip (back)

> Click here for Liverpool's latest injury and suspension news ahead of this match

Liverpool should be able to welcome Joel Matip back into their starting lineup for this one, having beaten their main title rivals in midweek without a recognised senior centre-back.

Rhys Williams filled in alongside makeshift centre-back Fabinho with aplomb, but Matip returned to training on Thursday and is expected to have fully recovered from the back spasms which forced him off at half time against Fulham last weekend.

It is as you were on the availability front aside from that, although there has been a positive update on the fitness of Thiago Alcantara, who is now back on the grass in Liverpool's training complex.

Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Diogo Jota, Kostas Tsimikas, Xherdan Shaqiri and James Milner remain sidelined too, with the latter still out with the hamstring injury he picked up the last time Liverpool faced a Wednesday evening to Saturday lunchtime turnaround.

Klopp made no secret of his fury at that scheduling and so it would not be a surprise to see him make changes for this match, particularly after not making a single sub during Wednesday's win over Spurs.

Naby Keita was due to come on in stoppage time of that match but ultimately did not get the chance, and he is one of the players pushing for a recall alongside Neco Williams, Divock Origi, Takumi Minamino and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, the latter of whom is still waiting for his first appearance of the season.

Liverpool do have the rare luxury of an eight-day break between games after this one, though, so there are unlikely to be wholesale changes from Klopp.

Sadio Mane will be particularly keen to start having scored in each of his last six league meetings with Crystal Palace - another goal on Saturday would leave him behind only Robin van Persie, who scored eight in a row against Stoke City, in the longest Premier League scoring streaks of all time.

Mohamed Salah was on the scoresheet yet again in midweek and has a formidable record in the month of December, scoring 17 and creating nine more goals in 21 such Premier League outings, although there have been suggestions that he could be rested for this match.

Video prediction

Watch the Sports Mole Football Shorts prediction for this game below: