As we're likely to effectively send out our under 21s tomorrow night here's a blast from the past of when we last had to take such drastic action:
Aston Villa 5 - 0 Liverpool
Aston Villa overwhelmed Liverpool's youngest-ever starting line-up to cruise into the semi-finals of the League Cup.
With the Reds' senior players in action at the Club World Cup in Qatar on Wednesday, under-23s boss Neil Critchley led a side containing five debutants and which had an average age of 19 years, six months and three days.
Hopefully we'll fare a bit better against Southampton.
The team from that game, players in bold are still at LFC:
KelleherHoever -
van den Berg - Boyes - Gallacher
Christie-Davies - Chirivella - Kane
Elliott - Longstaff -
HillSubs: Winterbottom, Clayton, Dixon-Bonner, Bearne, Clarkson,
Norris, Stewart
Of those that left this what they're up to now. They all seem to still be playing professional football at some level:
Ki-Jana Hoever (22): joined Wolves for £9m in 2020 after making four cup appearances. Currently on loan at Stoke.
Morgan Boyes (22): joined Livingstone in 2022 after making two cup appearances. Currently on loan at Inverness.
Tony Gallacher (24): joined St. Johnstone in 2022 with his only appearance being the Villa game.
Isaac Christie-Davies (26): joined Barnsley in 2020 after making two cup appearances. Currently at Eupen in Belgium.
Pedro Chirivella (26): joined Nantes in 2020 after 1 league and 10 cup appearances. Very much a regular for them since.
Herbie Kane (25): joined Barnsley for £1.25m in 2020 after making two cup appearances. A near ever present in League One for the past three seasons (including one on loan at Oxford)
Luis Longstaff (22): joined Cove Rangers in 2022 with his only appearance being the Villa game. Moved to Inverness in 2023.
Ben Winterbottom (22): joined Brentford in 2021 without making an appearances.
Tom Clayton (23): joined Swindon in 2022 after making five cup appearances.
Elijah Dixon-Bonner (23): joined QPR in 2022 after making three cup appearances.
Jack Bearne (22): joined Greenock in 2023 with his only appearance being the Villa game.
Leighton Clarkson (22): joined Aberdeen in 2023 after making three cup appearances.
Layton Stewart (21): joined Preston in 2023 after making one cup appearance.