Liverpool’s next test is not simply about extending their winning start in Europe. It is about how Andoni Iraola manages a team being asked to play with intensity, recover quickly and maintain its standards while injuries begin to restrict his options.

Villarreal’s visit to Anfield on Tuesday presents a different challenge to Saturday’s 2-1 victory at Brentford. Liverpool will expect to control more of the ball at home, but they face an opponent whose head coach understands the principles behind Iraola’s football and has made clear that his side must find a way to counter them.

The circumstances make the selection particularly interesting. Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong are unavailable after suffering injuries at Brentford, while Ryan Gravenberch returns to contention after serving a one-match Premier League suspension.

Iraola has insisted that his priority is to select the strongest team available, but acknowledged that it may not be the eleven supporters expect. Some players are not sufficiently fresh after the demands of the previous match, forcing the Liverpool head coach to weigh continuity against physical readiness.

That decision will shape the evening. Liverpool have enough attacking quality to trouble Villarreal, but their ability to sustain pressure and protect themselves when possession is lost will depend on the balance Iraola finds across his starting eleven.

Pérez knows what awaits his team at Anfield. He has described Liverpool as a side that will press relentlessly from the first minute to the last, and says Villarreal must accept those strengths while finding ways to exploit their own.

It is an important distinction. Villarreal cannot expect to avoid Liverpool’s pressure altogether, particularly in front of a home crowd, but they can look to make the moments when they escape it count.

Liverpool’s pressing is most effective when the players behind the initial challenge remain connected. The first wave can force hurried passes, but the midfield and defence must be positioned to collect the second ball and prevent an opponent from turning a pressured clearance into a counter-attack.

The danger comes when those lines become stretched. If Villarreal can play through the first challenge, Liverpool may have to defend while moving towards their own goal, rather than facing the ball and compressing the pitch.

That is where the midfield selection becomes significant. Gravenberch’s availability offers Iraola another option in the centre, but the task is not just to win possession. Liverpool need players capable of progressing the ball under pressure, recovering their positions when attacks break down and supporting the forwards without leaving excessive space behind them.

The balance between aggression and control will be particularly important if Liverpool take an early lead. Continuing to press can prevent Villarreal from building momentum, but committing too many players forward could give the visitors opportunities to attack the spaces left behind.

Villarreal have shown that they can compete against strong opposition. Their 3-1 Champions League victory over Napoli demonstrated their capacity to produce a result, while their narrow 1-0 defeat at Real Madrid suggested they could make life difficult for a leading side even when circumstances were against them.

Liverpool should have the advantage at Anfield, but they will need more than territorial dominance. Their pressing must create opportunities rather than simply dictate where the game is played.

Saturday’s match at Brentford was physically demanding, and the consequences extend beyond the two players who will miss Villarreal.

Frimpong suffered a new muscle injury shortly after entering the game as a substitute. Iraola indicated that a return before the November international break would be difficult. Szoboszlai’s situation is different: his injury has not worsened, but Liverpool need to give him more time to recover fully.

The midfielder’s willingness to play against Brentford was praised by his manager, yet the episode also underlines the difficulty of managing players who are not completely fit during a congested run of fixtures.

Liverpool cannot afford to treat every match as an isolated selection exercise. Iraola must consider the demands placed on individual players, the alternatives available to him and the consequences of asking the same core group to maintain high intensity across successive games.

Gravenberch’s return is therefore timely. His presence gives Liverpool another option in midfield and could allow Iraola to alter the balance of the team without sacrificing its ability to progress possession.

There are decisions to make elsewhere, too. With Frimpong absent and Conor Bradley still sidelined, the right-back position remains a concern. The player selected there will have to provide width and support Liverpool’s attacks while remaining alert to the possibility of Villarreal breaking into the space behind him.

The challenge is not necessarily to make wholesale changes. Too much rotation can disrupt the relationships that make a pressing system effective, particularly when players must anticipate one another’s movements to close passing lanes and recover possession.

Instead, Iraola must identify where freshness matters most and where established partnerships are worth preserving. The best available team may not be the strongest eleven on paper, but it must be capable of executing the game plan for the full ninety minutes.

Florian Wirtz arrives at the game after an encouraging performance against Brentford, where he created nine chances from open play and assisted Víctor Muñoz’s equaliser.

Iraola defended the German’s recent displays in his press conference, arguing that his performances had attracted excessive scrutiny. The manager’s support is understandable, but the next step for Wirtz is to turn individual flashes of quality into a more consistent influence on Liverpool’s attacking play.

Villarreal provide a useful test because Liverpool may need Wirtz to find solutions against an opponent prepared to defend with discipline and make space difficult to find between the lines.

His ability to receive the ball in tight areas, turn under pressure and find runners beyond the defensive line could be crucial. If Villarreal protect the centre of the pitch, Liverpool will need their attacking players to move intelligently and create passing angles rather than allowing possession to become predictable.

Wirtz’s role will also depend on the players selected around him. The connections between the midfield, wide forwards and Alexander Isak can determine whether Liverpool’s possession produces genuine chances or simply pushes the opposition deeper.

The Brentford performance was a positive step. Villarreal offer another opportunity to build on it, although the quality of his display should be judged in the context of the team’s overall attacking structure rather than by one individual statistic.

The meeting also brings Pérez back into direct competition with a coach who has played a significant role in his career.

The pair have known each other since their time in Athletic Club’s academy, later played together in the first team and worked alongside one another at Rayo Vallecano, where Pérez served as Iraola’s assistant.

Their relationship gives the fixture an unusual personal dimension. Iraola knows Pérez’s footballing intelligence and his capacity to analyse tactical problems, while Pérez has spent years learning how his former colleague approaches the game.

That familiarity may help both coaches anticipate aspects of the other’s thinking, but it does not guarantee that either will be able to neutralise the other’s plans. Players, match situations and the decisions made from the touchline will ultimately determine how the contest develops.

Pérez has urged Villarreal to approach the occasion with courage rather than fear. His side will need to be brave enough to play when opportunities arise, but disciplined enough to recognise the danger of giving Liverpool space to attack.

For Liverpool, the objective is clear: maintain their perfect start in the Champions League league phase and make home advantage count. Achieving it will require control as well as intensity, particularly with the squad stretched by injuries and the demands of the schedule.

The meeting with Villarreal is an opportunity to build momentum, but it is also a test of how well Iraola’s team can adapt when his preferred options are unavailable.

Liverpool have already shown they can produce goals in Europe. At Anfield on Tuesday, the more revealing question may be whether they can combine that attacking threat with the physical discipline and tactical control needed to make another demanding night look comfortable.