Jurgen Klopp's January headache worsens after failed Liverpool audition

The mood at Anfield is understandably buoyant after Liverpool extended their winning run to seven games in all competitions with victory over Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon.

Mohamed Salah was among the goals yet again, the Reds stayed within touching distance of Premier League -leaders Manchester City and one of their greatest-ever players, Steven Gerrard, proved his credentials as a future Liverpool manager through Villa's fine performance.

However, the days of things being quite so rosy for the Red contingent on Merseyside may be numbered.

Slowly but surely, AFCON is emerging on the horizon and Liverpool will soon have to face the reality of their goalscoring talisman, Salah, jetting off to Cameroon for a number of weeks alongside winger Sadio Mane and midfielder Naby Keita.

What is Liverpool's best front three without Mohamed Salah or Sadio Mane? Have your say in the comments!

The void this will leave in the attack cannot be overstated and the burden will fall on Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino to strike up a workable partnership despite generally occupying the same position.

Of course, the two gifted forwards will need support to complete the three-man frontline, unless Jurgen Klopp opts for a drastic change of formation, with Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino the obvious candidates.

But, against Villa, the Liverpool boss opted for a left-field choice to complete the trident in the absence of injured duo Origi and Firmino, and with Jota short of fitness.

Klopp turned to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as the false-nine sandwiched in-between Salah and Mane, presenting the Englishman with the ideal chance to score his first goal of the season.

Oxlade-Chamberlain looked to seize his opportunity from the first whistle and you would be hard pressed to find a player who worked harder than the 28-year-old given his intense pressing and desire to help when out of possession.

That being said, he clearly lacked the threat of Liverpool's regular centre-forwards and only managed to muster one shot against Villa before he was taken off for Jota on 58 minutes.

It was a false-nine audition which had plenty of potential given Oxlade-Chamberlain's past goalscoring exploits and his great versatility, but one which failed to produce the desired effect in a narrow victory which was too close for comfort.

Had Oxlade-Chamberlain found the back of the net to get off the mark, Klopp may have thought he had another option to help ease the pain of losing Salah and Mane.

As it happens, the experiment bore no fruit and he will need to search for solutions elsewhere as Liverpool brace themselves for their biggest upheaval of the season.