Injury updates on Trent Alexander-Arnold and Thiago Alcanatara from Liverpool assistant boss Pep Lijnders

Injury updates on Trent Alexander-Arnold and Thiago Alcanatara from Liverpool assistant boss Pep Lijnders

Richard Keys had questioned Liverpool before the season but has been impressed by Jurgen Klopp's side

Richard Keys had questioned Liverpool before the season but has been impressed by Jurgen Klopp's side

Liverpool chairman Tom Werner was in attendance at Anfield for the first time since May 2022 on Saturday

Liverpool chairman Tom Werner was in attendance at Anfield for the first time since May 2022 on Saturday

Pep Lijnders will be speaking to the media to preview Liverpool's Carabao Cup third-round tie against Leicester City

Pep Lijnders will be speaking to the media to preview Liverpool's Carabao Cup third-round tie against Leicester City

The Reds return to League Cup action on Wednesday night looking to replicate the journey towards lifting the trophy in 2021/22.

Leicester are up first at Anfield in a repeat of the quarter-final from that season’s competition and it presents Jurgen Klopp with an opportunity to share minutes around his squad.

The manager will be keen to go all the way once again, but he will almost certainly attempt to do so while resting some of his key players during the earlier rounds.

As we look ahead to the start of another year in the domestic cups, Adam Beattie (@beatts94), Joanna Durkan (@JoannaDurkan_), Jack Lusby (@LusbyJack) and David Lynch (@dmlynchlfc) discuss selection options, priorities and preview the third-round clash.

Which players are you most looking forward to seeing in the competition?

ADAM: Ben Doak feels like the obvious answer and you get the sense he will be a permanent feature in the ‘cup team’ we see across this and the Europa League up until Christmas, hopefully beyond!

It also gives Stefan Bajcetic an opportunity to feel his way back from injury without too much pressure or expectation, it would be great to see him get back to the level he reached last season.

JOANNA: In the early rounds, as I anticipate us to progress, I would appreciate any opportunity to see some of the youngsters – Adam, you’ve named two there already.

I would throw Jarell Quansah in the mix too, it not only offers him more experience but will give at least one of the senior options a rest – and with our injury record, we can never take that for granted.

JACK: I feel like, beyond those we’ve already seen, this might be the competition for some of those other youngsters on the fringes.

Bobby Clark seems a dead cert for the League Cup and could excel, but there’s also Calum Scanlon, James McConnell, Melkamu Frauendorf and Lewis Koumas.

Personally I’d like to see more of Luke Chambers, whose absence during pre-season came as a surprise – a loan move never came about but he’s well-liked among first-team staff and can play both centre-back and left-back.

DAVID: I’m really hoping this competition can provide opportunities for Jarell Quansah to back up what’s been an extremely encouraging introduction to the first team.

I know the emergence of a defender isn’t quite as thrilling as that of a forward player who gets fans off their seats, but given Liverpool’s need for depth at the back this season, it’d be extremely handy if Quansah can show he is worthy of stepping up.

Of course, if all four senior centre-halves are fit, then the EFL Cup is likely to be the chance for the two who aren’t playing regularly to come in and keep sharpness. But that rarely happens, so I’m thinking we’ll see plenty of Quansah.

How much of a priority should the League Cup be this season?

JOANNA: It is, until it isn’t. The more opportunities there are to rest and rotate the better and a lot of that is swayed by the draw and the timing of the fixtures.

There’s strength to compete and I wouldn’t mind seeing the Reds make a February trip to Wembley. It is far from a season-defining competition but we’ve seen what a run can do not that long ago.

DAVID: Two seasons ago, we saw Liverpool reach the final of this competition by making use of their squad depth, and I think that’s entirely possible again this time around.

I’m not expecting Klopp to treat it as anything other than the last priority this year, but that doesn’t mean his team can’t go deep given the strength in depth they possess.

The key to how far they go is probably whether they can avoid drawing Manchester City at any point or one of the other big hitters away from home.

JACK: I don’t see why Liverpool can have a crack at all four competitions again this season, fitness permitting.

As it stands, Klopp has a squad capable of rotating its way through the Premier League, Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup.

We have to remember there’s still Thiago and Conor Bradley to come in having yet to feature this season, while I’d expect the likes of Clark and Quansah to step up.

It’s a low priority, but why not go for it?

ADAM: A lot will depend on the difficulty of the fixtures and how the schedule fits in each round but Klopp has enough depth to field strong enough sides to give us a good run at it.

Being in the Europa League gives us a lot more scope to rotate and the players should be able to get familiar with each other pretty quickly which can only help.

Is this going to be Kelleher’s competition from start to finish again?

JACK: Definitely.

I wasn’t convinced Klopp would go for him as Europa League goalkeeper, but the start at LASK suggests he’ll start in the group stage at least.

In any case, the domestic cups are made for Kelleher, who probably has another season in him before he decides he needs to be a No. 1.

ADAM: I would be surprised if not.

I’m pretty confident we’ll see Alisson introduced as the Europa League wears on – all being well – but this feels like the obvious means of getting Kelleher on the pitch.

I honestly believe the run in 2021/22 and being a hero in this competition in the past has been a factor in him being content to stick around as a No. 2 for as long as he has, although I do get the feeling this will be his last season at Anfield.

DAVID: I really hope so. Liverpool were quite fortunate to keep hold of him this summer and should make the most of having one of the best back-up goalkeepers of any top English side.

If Kelleher gets the EFL Cup and Europa League group stages – as well as the odd FA Cup game – I think he’d be happy with that. And I have absolutely no doubts that he’ll prove himself to be up to the task again.

JOANNA: I’d expect so. Alisson will likely hold onto the FA Cup spot and jump back in for some of the Europa group games and then the knockouts, but this one ought to be for the Irishman.

There’s plenty of incentive for Kelleher and those on the fringe to progress as it all but guarantees them game time, and for a backup with the quality he has, Kelleher is worthy of calling the competition his own this season.

Finally, pick us a team for Leicester!

DAVID: Kelleher; Bajcetic, Gomez, Quansah, Tsimikas; Endo, Elliott, Gravenberch; Doak, Gakpo, Jota

JOANNA: I really can’t see it being anything other than: Kelleher; Bajcetic, Konate, Quansah, Tsimikas; Endo, Elliott, Gravenberch; Doak, Jota, Gakpo

ADAM: Kelleher; Bajcetic, Konate, Quansah, Tsimikas; Endo, Gravenberch, Elliott; Doak, Gakpo, Jota

JACK: I’d echo Joanna and Adam. That XI picks itself for me.

If Trent’s fit, bring him on for Bajcetic after an hour. Similar with Van Dijk or Matip replacing Konate at some stage.

Clark for Gravenberch if all goes well. Then send on Nunez and Salah for some late chaos…

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Tottenham will be without four players for Saturday’s visit of Liverpool, with new doubts over another, but James Maddison has avoided injury.

Two of the four sides still unbeaten in this season’s Premier League face off on Saturday evening, with Liverpool heading to Tottenham.

The Reds do so after a League Cup clash with Leicester on Wednesday night, but Spurs are already knocked out of the cup after a second-round defeat to Fulham.

An early exit allows Ange Postecoglu’s side more time to recover and prepare following their 2-2 draw with Arsenal at the weekend.

Spurs’ stalemate in the North London derby brought a new injury concern to add to four existing absentees, with winger Brennan Johnson suffering a hamstring issue.

The summer signing from Nottingham Forest could join Rodrigo Bentancur (ACL), Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring), Bryan Gil (groin) and Ivan Perisic (ACL) on the sidelines.

But while there were fears over an ACL injury for Maddison during the draw at the Emirates, the midfielder came through and has avoided issue.

That is according to Postecoglu, who provided an update on Johnson, Maddison and Heung-min Son after Sunday’s game.

“Not sure with Brennan, it seems like he felt something, I think his hamstring. We’ll assess that,” he told reporters.

“Madders and Sonny weren’t 100 percent going into the game but they got through it, which suggests that it’s nothing serious.”

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Tottenham could see midfielder Giovani Lo Celso return to the fold against Liverpool, having missed almost a month due to a hamstring injury.

As it stands, there are no other fitness concerns for Spurs, with Postecoglu set to name his strongest possible side after an uninterrupted week.

Guglielmo Vicario is a guaranteed starter in goal, with Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie making up the back four.

Yves Bissouma is in fierce form in midfield and should start next to Pape Matar Sarr, with Maddison further forward in a 4-2-3-1.

The absence of Johnson would see either Richarlison or Manor Solomon come in, with Son and Dejan Kulusevski otherwise key starters in attack.

Son is Spurs’ top scorer this season with five, while Maddison has been involved in the most goals, scoring two and assisting four in seven outings since his move from Leicester.

Probable Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bissouma, Sarr; Kulusevski, Maddison, Solomon; Son

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Seventeen Premier League teams are in Carabao Cup action this week, and Everton and Liverpool are among them

Seventeen Premier League teams are in Carabao Cup action this week, and Everton and Liverpool are among them

Liverpool can host Leicester in the League Cup on Wednesday expecting a very different side to that they faced in the Premier League last season.

There was no banana skin when the Reds met Leicester at Anfield and the King Power last season, with a 2-1 home win followed by a 3-0 victory on the road.

By that point, Dean Smith’s side were teetering on the brink of relegation, which was then confirmed on the final day of the campaign.

Smith departed less than three weeks later, as Leicester prepared for a shock return to the Championship, with a new face brought in to replace him.

Enzo Maresca took over on the same day Smith’s exit was confirmed, leaving his position as assistant manager to Pep Guardiola at Man City.

Leicester also saw 13 senior players depart, including big-money sales of James Maddison to Tottenham and Harvey Barnes to Newcastle, while nine were brought in.

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Among the new arrivals were ex-Liverpool youngster Conor Coady, England midfielder Harry Winks and winger Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, who was strongly linked with a move to Anfield before joining Sporting CP in 2022.

Maresca, who spent the first two months of his tenure living at Leicester‘s training ground to – as he told BBC East Midlands Today – “get the sensation,” has now overseen 10 games.

In those 10 games, Leicester have won nine and lost one, that being a 1-0 defeat to early promotion rivals Hull earlier in September.

Their record stands at 18 goals scored and five conceded, with five clean sheets.

Liverpool got a taste of the new Leicester when they faced Maresca’s side in pre-season, but their 4-0 victory in Singapore came against an unfamiliar side.

Callum Doyle, the left-back on loan from Man City, has clocked the most minutes for the Foxes so far this season, with Winks and Wout Faes not far behind.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Jannik Vestergaard, Ricardo Pereira and Wilfred Ndidi remain at the core of the squad, but new faces include forward Stephy Mavididi, goalkeeper Mads Hermansen and winger Kasey McAteer.

McAteer is currently Leicester‘s top scorer, with four, while Ndidi and Jamie Vardy both have three and Dewsbury-Hall, Mavididi and Kelechi Iheanacho all have two.

Dewsbury-Hall is their leading source of goal contributions, with two goals and three assists.

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Leicester‘s most recent outing resulted in a 1-0 win over Bristol City at the King Power, moving them to the top of the table through Vardy’s winner.

That day, Maresca fielded his usual 4-3-3 setup, though at times this season he has deployed a 3-4-3 – including in both previous rounds of the League Cup.

Possible Leicester XI: Stolarczyk; Justin, Doyle, Faes; Pereira, Ndidi, Winks, Mavididi; Dewsbury-Hall, Casadei; Vardy

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Micky van de Ven sees no reason to fear high-flying Liverpool when they travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday

Micky van de Ven sees no reason to fear high-flying Liverpool when they travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday

Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso could be a prime candidate to replace Jurgen Klopp, but the window of opportunity may close to soon

Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso could be a prime candidate to replace Jurgen Klopp, but the window of opportunity may close to soon

Dominik Szoboszlai is already being rewarded for his positive impact since arriving at Liverpool from RB Leipzig this summer

Dominik Szoboszlai is already being rewarded for his positive impact since arriving at Liverpool from RB Leipzig this summer

Liverpool have a proud history in the League Cup with seven different captains having lifted the trophy. Can you name them all?

Over the years, the competition has had several names and, from the Milk Cup to the Carabao, Liverpool have been more successful than any other club.

With nine overall victories, the Reds have won it more than any other club and, in that time, seven different players have captained the team to the trophy.

We thought, with Virgil van Dijk looking to become the eighth skipper to do so, we would test your knowledge on Liverpool’s League Cup-winning captains.

We’ve given a good clue as to who was the most recent with the choice of photo for this page!

3 minutes on the clock, off you go!

7 League Cup-winning captains in 3 minutes! Fancy another? Give these a try!

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Name Liverpool’s 6 Premier League No. 8s before Szoboszlai

Name every club Ian Rush scored record 346 Liverpool goals against!

Name the 33 Liverpool players to feature in the last 5 World Cups

Name the 33 Liverpool players signed by Brendan Rodgers

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