Liverpool missing injured star at worst possible time as Arne Slot juggles new dilemma

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Liverpool take on Crystal Palace in the League Cup fifth round on Wednesday at Anfield, with Arne Slot expected to make a number of changes to the side who lost to BrentfordArne Slot may have his hand forced when it comes to selecting his Liverpool squad for Wednesday's League Cup showdown with Crystal Palace. The Reds head coach made sweeping changes for his side's third-round triumph over Southampton last month, with goals from Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike securing a 2-1 victory.However, while he could repeat this strategy against the Eagles, injuries mean he would need to delve deeper into his squad if he chooses to do so.

For instance, Joe Gomez could fill in at right-back in place of the injured Frimpong, if Bradley is shielded from injury risk, but he'll be needed in central defence.As a result, it's not out of the question that Calvin Ramsay could make his first Liverpool appearance since November 2022. He spent last season on loan at Red Bull Salzburg before moving to Las Palmas, where he caught the eye only for a hamstring injury to bring his campaign to an early close.The Spaniard has yet to make his return to the pitch, though Under-21s head coach Rob Page recently suggested he was expected to feature for Liverpool's second string.

It's about exposing him to minutes to get him back to full fitness." However, his most recent update indicated that Bajcetic is still not ready to make his comeback."No, not yet," he told reporters after Liverpool Under-21s' 4-1 demolition of Everton on Sunday. "We should know more in the next couple of weeks." As a result, the 21-year-old is clearly not in contention to take on Palace on Wednesday evening.Yet whilst he has still to make a competitive outing under Slot, his continued absence is rather unfortunate.Whilst Ramsay might stand to gain from Frimpong's enforced unavailability, for instance, the same could have applied to Bajcetic.