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- FA Cup updates from the 7.45pm (GMT) kick-off at Villa Park
- Villa cleared to take on Liverpool in FA Cup with youth players
- And feel free to mail Barry here or tweet @bglendenning
6.49pm GMT
A mixture of youth and experience for Liverpool: Fabinho, James Milner, Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum, Sadio Mane and Mo Salah all start for the visitors tonight. THey’ll be joined by comparative whippersnappers Caoimhin Kelleher, Neco Williams, Rhys Williams, Curtis Jones and Takumi Minamino.
6.39pm GMT
6.38pm GMT
Enjoy it, lads! #EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/de40Tevows
6.33pm GMT
Referee Craig Pawson
Assistant Referees Stuart Burt and Richard West
Fourth Official Anthony Taylor
VAR Paul Tierney (VAR will only be used in third round ties played at Premier League grounds)
6.33pm GMT
Tonight’s match marks a reversal of the occasion when these sides met in the League Cup in December 2019, when Liverpool’s obligations in the World Club Cup in Qatar meant they were forced to field a team with an average of 19 against Villa.
On that occasion, Villa triumphed 5-0 but might possibly have shown their whey-faced opponents rivals more mercy if they had seen tonight’s game coming down the pipe.
Related: Aston Villa’s Jonathan Kodjia shows no mercy to knock out Liverpool’s kids
4.08pm GMT
Welcome to our coverage of one of the opening games in what, with apologies to Louis Theroux, promises to be a particularly weird FA Cup third round weekend.
With crowds locked out of stadiums and various teams being affected by Covid-19 outbreaks on an unprecedented level, the wisdom of even going ahead with this season’s FA Cup has been questioned, but for now the show goes on in the face of this unprecedented adversity.
Related: Aston Villa cleared to take on Liverpool in FA Cup with youth players
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