Liverpool’s predicted Carabao Cup XI vs Tottenham as Andoni Iraola makes nine changes
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Andoni Iraola will be hoping for a response from his Liverpool team in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday after they struggled to a 0-0 draw with Fulham at the weekend.The Reds headed into the Fulham match in good spirits having won two games on the spin, but the subsequent performance has left fans worried about the make-up of the squad all over again.Iraola is set to ring the changes against Tottenham Hotspur in the third round, but with Liverpool still looking very light beyond their regular starting XI, there is intrigue over who exactly could come in. Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images Defence – Joe Gomez returns at the backIraola had some good news ahead of the game as he confirmed that Joe Gomez is fit and available for selection.It would perhaps be a risk to throw the 29-year-old straight in having not played meaningfully since May, but if he wants to rest Jeremy Jacquet, Virgil van Dijk and Ronald Araujo, all of whom have played a lot of football recently, then Gomez should start.Wataru Endo is the most likely candidate to start alongside Gomez, but there is a possibility that Mor Talla Ndiaye might play if Iraola overlooks either of the much more senior options.The full-back positions have been worrisome for Iraola so far, but Jeremie Frimpong should get the chance to earn his spot back with a start, while it feels most likely that Kostas Tsimikas will try and shake off the disappointment of his first Premier League start of the campaign at left-back.
Iraola has already confirmed that Giorgi Mamardashvili will start in goal.READ MORE: Andoni Iraola reveals which current Liverpool player he actually tried to sign for BournemouthMidfield – James McConnell starts at No. The 19-year-old has waited patiently for his chance this season, and if he can play well against Spurs then there is a genuine chance for him to cement himself in Iraola’s starting midfield.Without too many more options, Iraola should really be looking to play one of his more senior options to help Nyoni and McConnell, and if that is the case then Ryan Gravenberch is the most likely candidate.
He will need to be better than he has been recently, but the Dutchman is still important to Liverpool and perhaps he can play his way back into form.Attack – Iraola hands Lewis Koumas the keysIraola would likely want more options in his attack going into this game, and it is fairly easy to see who is going to play by process of elimination.Bradley Barcola certainly won’t be starting, nor will Alexander Isak, and with Cody Gakpo only just back from a knock himself, he also seems unlikely to begin the game.That leaves Victor Munoz and Rio Ngumoha as Iraola’s likely wide options, with Munoz probably on the right and Ngumoha on the left.Through the middle is where the biggest drop-off in quality will lie, but it does give Lewis Koumas the chance to really show why Iraola was so desperate to keep him. The 20-year-old has been heavily praised by his head coach, and he can nail down his position as Isak’s understudy for the time being with a strong performance here.