Liverpool play Leicester City in the Carabao Cup, just three days after defeating West Ham.
Just over a month into the 2023/24 season, the fixture list is jam-packed.
The Reds began their Europa League campaign against LASK last Thursday, followed by a 3-1 victory over West Ham the following weekend, and now Jurgen Klopp and co face Leicester City for the first time since they were surprisingly demoted last season.
As if that wasn’t enough, the Reds face a high-flying Tottenham team just three days after the cup fixture against Leicester, so there will be some heavy rotation in mid-week.
Nonetheless, Liverpool have responded wonderfully to every test this season, and Klopp will no doubt be hopeful that even a second-string group will be enough to beat the Championship side.
Here’s a rundown of everything you need to know about the game.
Liverpool and Leicester have met 121 times in history, with the Reds winning 55 times, drawing 25, and losing 41, which is a lot closer than many people believe.
Liverpool has won seven of the last ten meetings between the clubs, drawing one and losing two, with the Reds’ most recent setback against the now-Championship side coming in December 2021, during a disastrous season for Liverpool.
The previous three meetings between the two teams were all won handily by Klopp’s team, with an aggregate score of 7-1.
Only two months ago, the Reds defeated the Foxes by four goals in a pre-season match in Singapore.
WHERE CAN I WATCH LIVERPOOL VS LEICESTER ON TELEVISION?
The game will not be aired in the United Kingdom since it was not chosen for coverage (yet another game Liverpool fans will be unable to watch live).
The game is available on DAZN in Europe.
The one huge unknown heading into the game on Wednesday night is whether Trent Alexander-Arnold will have recovered from his hamstring injury in time to play a part in the squad for the first time since being pulled against Aston Villa earlier this month.
The defender’s absence was originally scheduled to last two weeks. However, Alexander-Arnold did not make the team for Liverpool’s 3-1 win against West Ham at the weekend, marking three weeks since he originally suffered the injury.
Due to the short turnaround between games, the 24-year-old is unlikely to play against Leicester, with Klopp likely to give him until at least the weekend’s crucial meeting against Tottenham to restore match fitness.
Meanwhile, Thiago Alcantara is another significant absence, and his whereabouts are unknown. The Spaniard was thought to be close to returning at the start of pre-season, but we are now a month and a half into the competitive season and there is still no sign of the midfielder making his Reds return.
The only other confirmed absentee is youthful full-back Conor Bradley, who appears certain to miss the majority of the rest of the season.
Once again, Joe Gomez is the only truly viable choice at right-back, but fans won’t mind because Liverpool’s longest-serving player has stepped up in recent weeks and performed admirably on the right side of defense.
Youngsters Ben Doak, Stefan Bajcetic, Jarell Quansah, and Bobby Clark might all see action on Wednesday in a much-changed team, while Caoimhin Kelleher should return to the cup keeper’s duty.
Harvey Elliott, who was an unused substitute against West Ham, is also expected to play a key part.
TEAM NEWS FROM LEICESTER
From a Leicester City standpoint, there are no first-team injury or suspension problems. However, their team was decimated last season as a result of the club’s relegation, with high-profile players like as Harvey Barnes, James Maddison, and Youri Tielemans all leaving to play in the Premier League.
Having said that, the game on Wednesday is not going to be easy. Enzo Maresca’s team is riding high this season, sitting atop the Championship with seven victories and one draw from their first eight games.
They will be seeking to make a statement win against Liverpool, not just to advance in the cup, but also to send a message to Premier League opponents that they will be back next season
With Liverpool in the midst of a busy fixture week and a game against Tottenham on the horizon, Klopp is anticipated to significantly rotate his squad.
Caoimhin Kelleher (4-3-3): Joe Gomez, Ibrahima Konate, Jarell Quansah, Kostas Tsimikas; Wataru Endo, Harvey Elliott, Ryan Gravenberch; Ben Doak, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota; Ben Doak, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota
PREDICTION
Despite the disparity, this might be a difficult tie for Liverpool to manage, with challenging Premier League games against West Ham and Tottenham on each side of the Carabao Cup showdown.
Surely the least important of the four events in which the Reds are competing this season, many fans would not be disappointed if they were eliminated early.
The Reds, on the other hand, are in terrific form and the game is being played at Anfield, so they should have more than enough to advance… with the typical scoreline.
Liverpool defeated Leicester City 3-1.
