Arne Slot has warned Liverpool players they cannot settle against Accrington Stanley as they will treat Saturday’s FA Cup third round game at Anfield as their “Champions League final”.

The second division club’s visit to Liverpool will be Slot’s first time playing in a competitive game against an English team from the lower league. Eighty-seven places separate Accrington and the Premier League leaders and a win for John Doolan’s team would go down as one of the biggest upsets in the competition’s long history.

“I think any team that plays us is a special occasion for any team we play, but especially for a lower league team,” Slot said. “They will all be ready. You’ve been living on this game for many weeks. Then all players are fit and no one is suspended. The challenge is always to get the best out of ourselves.

“I think everyone can understand that when you go into a Champions League final everyone is completely excited and ready. And this is for her. Tomorrow will feel like it’s the Champions League final. That’s why we have to be aware of it. Nine times out of ten, the first 25 minutes, half an hour, are the most difficult part (of the game) because they will still be very intense. And it’s up to us to be prepared for them to want to play the best game of their lives. And that’s what we have to do.”

Liverpool played the role of generous host by allowing Accrington to use the club’s training ground on Friday as their own facilities were affected by the recent cold.

Slot could afford minutes for a number of fringe players on Saturday, but also those building up their fitness after injury. Among those expected to feature against Accrington is Federico Chiesa, the Italian who has started just once since his initial £10m move from Juventus in the summer, playing four games in total and generally failing to prove himself he can.

“He has to compete with the likes of Cody Gakpo, Luis Díaz, Diogo Jota, Darwin Núñez and Mo Salah,” Slot said. “It’s a combination of reasons why he hasn’t played as much, but we want to wait and see if he can help us in the coming weeks and months because the second half of the season is even more important than the first.”