With Liverpool entering the Carabao Cup in the next round, it will soon be time for Jurgen Klopp to decide which members of his squad will be taking part.
With only four rounds (and five matches) to negotiate to reach the final, the competition allows some of the less active members of the Reds’ roster to get some valuable game time and Klopp the opportunity to pick up the first domestic cup of his time in England.
The Liverpool manager has been unafraid to include some of his top stars in his starting XI in this competition in the past. Virgil van Dijk started both games in 2020/21, with Mohamed Salah joining him in the line-up for the second match (with Arsenal, which the Reds lost on penalties).
But after the injury issues the Reds suffered last season it seems likely that Klopp will rely upon his back-up options in this competition this term.
A closer look at the players who are likely to be involved highlights the depth of Liverpool’s current squad, though the picture may have changed by the time the transfer window shuts on August 31.
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Caoimhin Kelleher may have only made nine senior appearances for the Reds but those games include two in the Champions League, and he has also represented Republic of Ireland.
While still only 20-years-old, Neco Williams is more experienced and would likely take the right-back berth. The 14-cap Wales international, who featured at Euro 2020, has started 17 games for Liverpool with the highlight assisting the winner in the Champions League victory over Ajax.
After having to use 20 central defensive partnerships last season, it’s strange that centre-back is probably the area of the League Cup team where Klopp has the most choice.
As Liverpool only have four matches between now and when they make their bow in England’s lesser cup competition, it may be that Ibrahima Konate makes his debut for the Reds.
At the time of writing, Joe Gomez has yet to play in his natural position in 2021/22, while Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams may or may not remain on the club’s books in September. Whatever happens there, Klopp can pick two quality centre-backs while giving Joel Matip and van Dijk a breather.
It seems likely that Andy Robertson will return to the team very soon, possibly even for the massive match with Chelsea this weekend. Klopp and Liverpool supporters now know that Kostas Tsimikas can perform well though, with his assist against Burnley illustrating that he can be a key player for the Reds’ shadow side.
Assuming that Thiago Alcantara, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson are ready to play regularly in the big games, then there will be plenty of midfielders available for the cup matches.
Curtis Jones is yet to make an appearance in this campaign, and it’s common for James Milner to captain the side in the Carabao Cup. Harvey Elliott could definitely be an option, though his fine performance against the Clarets suggests he could feature in many more matches between now and the cup game.
It may be that whoever out of Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is fit but not playing regularly takes the third midfield spot in the starting XI. The latter could also be an option up front, as he has played in the attacking trio in the past and got some game time up top in pre-season too.
If Divock Origi remains with Liverpool then it seems certain he would play, and Takumi Minamino will be keen to get some time on the pitch too, having netted a couple of goals and provided an assist in the summer friendlies.
The way to assess the strength of a squad is to look at which players feature in their least important matches, allowing the main men to have a break from action. With international footballers and Champions League winners to call upon, Liverpool are in fine fettle in this regard.
Possible cup team: Kelleher; N. Williams, Gomez, Konate, Tsimikas; Milner, Jones, Keita; Minamino, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Origi.
