Liverpool are expected to make plenty of changes for Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup clash with Tottenham at Anfield.
According to James Pearce, Lewis Koumas and Trey Nyoni are both in contention to start, while Wataru Endo, Jeremie Frimpong and Cody Gakpo are also pushing for opportunities.
Giorgi Mamardashvili is also expected to start in goal after being among the substitutes for Saturday’s goalless draw with Fulham.
And honestly, this feels like exactly the right game for Andoni Iraola to rotate.
Give the squad players their chance
Liverpool have just come through a demanding period which included a Champions League game against Atlético Madrid before the frustrating 0-0 draw with Fulham.
The Fulham performance looked like a team that had run out of energy.
Iraola therefore has little reason to risk all of his key players again against Spurs.
This is what the squad is for.
Players such as Koumas, Nyoni and Endo need competitive minutes if they are going to become genuine options for the manager as the season progresses.
And the Carabao Cup is the perfect opportunity to give them that.
Koumas and Nyoni could be particularly interesting
There is plenty of excitement around Liverpool’s young players.
Koumas has shown flashes of his ability and could provide some much-needed attacking energy, while Nyoni is another youngster who looks capable of making the step up.
These are exactly the sort of games where young players can put themselves firmly into the manager’s thinking.
If Koumas or Nyoni impress against Spurs, Iraola has another couple of options to call upon.
That could become particularly important given Liverpool’s packed fixture schedule.
Frimpong and Gakpo also need minutes
Frimpong is another player who could benefit enormously from starting.
The Dutchman has found himself under pressure after an inconsistent start to life at Liverpool, but he remains an incredibly talented attacking player.
Rather than constantly discussing what he isn’t doing well, this is a chance for him to go out and remind everyone what he can do.
Gakpo is another player who could come back into the starting eleven after being among the substitutes against Fulham.
With Liverpool needing more attacking options and rotation becoming increasingly important, getting Gakpo back to full sharpness would be a major boost.
Mamardashvili gets his chance
Mamardashvili starting is hardly a surprise.
Alisson has been Liverpool’s No.1, but the Georgian needs competitive football too.
The Carabao Cup should give him the opportunity to show Iraola that he can be trusted whenever required.
And with Liverpool facing a long season across multiple competitions, having a goalkeeper capable of stepping in is important.
This is about more than just resting players
The biggest benefit of making changes isn’t simply keeping the first-choice players fresh.
It is about building a squad Iraola can trust.
Liverpool cannot expect to play the same XI every three or four days throughout the season.
They need players on the bench who can come into the team and maintain the intensity and quality the manager demands.
That is particularly important after Saturday’s performance against Fulham, when Liverpool struggled to find a way of changing the game.
Perhaps Tuesday night can provide some answers.
Koumas. Nyoni. Endo. Frimpong. Gakpo. Mamardashvili.
There is a real opportunity for several players to make their case.
And if Liverpool are serious about competing on multiple fronts this season, Iraola needs to know exactly which members of his squad he can rely on.
The Spurs game could be the perfect audition.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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