Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has promised he will make changes against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup later, with the Reds aiming to book their place in the quarter-finals
Liverpool’s attention turns to the Carabao Cup later, with a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs as it takes on Chelsea at Anfield.
It’s another tricky tie for the Reds, who had to overcome Tottenham in the previous round, although with League Two side Fleetwood dumping Premier League champions Arsenal out of the competition on Tuesday, the path to Wembley may have just opened up a little.
Andoni Iraola may therefore see this as the perfect opportunity to get some silverware under his belt early on in his time in charge of Liverpool. Unfortunately for him, Xabi Alonso might be thinking exactly the same, and the former Reds midfielder doesn’t have any European distractions to contend with either.
In all probability then, today’s visitors might end up naming a stronger team, with Iraola having already confirmed he will be making changes to his side following the weekend win over Brighton. With Arsenal awaiting on Sunday, there is little choice for the Liverpool boss.
It’s really just a question of how far he goes with his changes, especially with injuries biting at the moment.
Well, let’s start with one of the easier decisions. Giorgi Mamardashvili can fulfill his usual duties in the cup as Alisson Becker is afforded a rest.
Then it gets tricky. Ideally, Iraola would probably like to rest at least two of Virgil van Dijk, Jeremy Jacquet and Ronald Araujo, but the current injury situation doesn’t look as though it will allow for that.
With no other senior right-backs available, Araujo can continue in the position, with Joe Gomez coming in for Jacquet, who needs to be managed carefully given there have been one or two injury scares with him.
Kostas Tsimikas can start at left-back in place of Milos Kerkez, while midfield poses yet more tricky calls. It would be a surprise to see Dominik Szoboszlai return here, and if there are any doubts about Florian Wirtz after twisting his ankle against Brighton, then he shouldn’t be risked.
Therefore, Trey Nyoni can come in for a deserved start, while James McConnell can also be given an opportunity to impress. Ryan Gravenberch can stay in the side, giving Alexis Mac Allister a chance to put his feet up.
If Victor Munoz is still a doubt, then it feels like a no-brainer to give Rio Ngumoha another chance to excite the Anfield crowd, and what a time to do so against his former club.
You don’t want to push Alexander Isak too hard, so Lewis Koumas can come in to start up front, while Cody Gakpo playing the full 90 against Brighton might indicate that he will be also be given a rest, so Bradley Barcola retains his place, but moves over to his usual spot on the left.
Liverpool predicted line-up vs Chelsea: Mamardashvili; Araujo, Gomez, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Nyoni, Gravenberch, McConnell; Chiesa, Koumas, Ngumoha.
