Liverpool are gunning for a place in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening when they travel to Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth round.
The reigning champions, who play Brighton again in the Premier League on Saturday, brushed aside West Ham United in their previous Cup outing. An impressive 5-1 victory remains Arne Slot’s biggest margin of victory as Liverpool manager.
After a busy week that involved clashes with Chelsea, RB Leipzig and Arsenal, Slot will be eager to make changes to his starting line-up on Wednesday. While a handful of first-team regulars will feature, some of the fringe figures in the squad will be given opportunities.
Here’s how Liverpool could line up Brighton.
GK: Kevin Kelleher – With Alisson injured, Kelleher has started three games on the court and has impressed since the October international break. There aren’t many better safety caps out there Premier League.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold – Conor Bradley is back in contention after injury, but Slot may stick with Alexander-Arnold to prevent the Northern Irishman making a quick return. He was involved in both goals against Arsenal but has yet to hit his stride this season.
CB: Joe Gomez – Gomez has become an emergency stand-in for Slot, used to shoring things up when Liverpool need to hold on for victory. However, he was involved from the start in the previous round against West Ham and should earn an increasingly rare outing on the south coast.
CB: Jarell Quansah – Since his first-half substitution on the opening day of the season, Quansah has been unable to usurp the impressive Ibrahima Konate since Slot’s arrival and his drop down the pecking order means cup competitions are where will earn most of his minutes this season.
LB: Kostas Tsimikas – Andy Robertson’s disappointing form… evident in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal last weekend – means Tsimikas has a real chance to rival his fellow left-back. The Greek defender, however, always has a mistake.
DM: Wataru Endo – It’s fair to say Endo isn’t Slot’s cup of tea. The Japan international became a cult hero last season but lacks the technical attributes to thrive under Liverpool’s new boss. Still, he’s a strong rotation option.
DM: Alexis McAllister – Mac Allister was withdrawn after an hour against Arsenal after an uncharacteristically sloppy display. Nothing more than a one-off for the Argentine, he will be integral in Liverpool’s midfield at Brighton.
RW; Mohamed Salah – Injuries to Federico Chiesa and Diogo Jota leave Slot short in attacking areas. As a result, Salah will be the man residing on the right side of the American Express Stadium, and has nine goals and seven assists in 15 appearances for the Seagulls.
AM: Dominik Szoboszlai – Curtis Jones’ recent displays have put Szoboszlai’s starting position in jeopardy. The attacking midfielder has improved significantly in the slot, but still has the gears to reach the elite level.
LW: Cody Gakpo – The Dutchman has dazzled in Liverpool’s cup competitions and bagged a brace in the previous round. An underwhelming cameo against Arsenal was an outlier in what has been an encouraging season for the versatile forward.
ST: Darwin N̼̱ez РA goal against Leipzig and a composite assist against Arsenal will have given N̼̱ez confidence in the world of good. He has returned to his chaotic best in recent outings and will be ready to stretch an injury-hit Brighton defence.
