The Carabao Cup was the last trophy lifted by Jurgen Klopp and could be the first for new Liverpool manager Arne Slot.
Liverpool begin the defense of their title on Wednesday evening in the third round of the competition, hosting West Ham United, a team they beat 5-1 on their journey to glory last season. On paper, the Reds should book their place in the next round, but a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest almost two weeks ago shows they cannot afford midweek complacency.
The rotation could also make life difficult for Liverpool, with Slot having to give some of their key starters a well-deserved rest given the hectic schedule ahead. The likes of Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and the in-form Luis Diaz could enjoy the night off.
Here’s how Liverpool could line up on wednesday.
GK: Kevin Kelleher – With Alisson missing the win over Bournemouth and a confirmed midweek absentee, Kelleher will be tasked with guarding the Anfield nets. Desperate to be number one elsewhere, he is only likely to be Liverpool’s cup keeper this term.
RB: Conor Bradley – With Alexander-Arnold’s Liverpool future in doubtthe reds could rely on bradley weekly for years to come. The Northern Irishman’s impressive start to his Anfield career is likely to continue under Slot.
CB: Jarell Quansah – Having hooked at half-time at Liverpool Premier League first, Quansah has not been seen since. That will likely change on Wednesday, but the youngster will likely face the mighty Michail Antonio.
CB: Virgil van Dijk – On a heavily changed bottom line, the pattern could hold its place. Although Joe Gomez is a candidate to replace the Dutch defender, Liverpool need a level of continuity in their starting line-up, especially in defence.
LB: Kostas Tsimikas – The left-back put in a very similar performance to Tsimikas in his recent start against Milan in the season Champions League. Encouraging going forward but reckless defensively, you’re never too sure what you’re going to get from the Greece international.
DM: We wrote Endo – Slot is clearly not a member of Endo’s fan club, but is likely to use the midfielder sparingly this season. The Japan captain’s future will depend on his performances in cup competitions.
DM: Curtis Jones – After struggling with injury problems at the start of the season, Jones should make his first start of the season on Wednesday. He scored twice against West Ham last year Carabao Cup shock
RM: Federico Chiesa – Slot has hinted at a first start for summer signing Chiesa against the Irons, although the Italian may only last an hour or so. Liverpool fans will be delighted to get a proper glimpse of the Euro 2020 winnerwho is likely to replace Salah on the right wing.
AM: Dominik Szoboszlai – Szoboszlai has started 2024/25 very well, as he did in 2023/24, and has thrived in a more advanced midfield role under Slot. He also scored in the 5-1 win against West Ham last season, he can retain his midweek starting place.
LM: Cody Gakpo – The Dutch striker was one of Liverpool’s standout players in his first outing with Slot against Milan. Obviously, he has taken up where he left off at the end of last season and at Euro 2024.
ST: Diogo Jota – Jota was a surprise omission against Bournemouth, not featuring in the 3-0 win. Darwin Núñez replaced him and scored a beauty, perhaps relegating the Portuguese to second place for now.
