Liverpool Set to Make Sweeping Changes for League Cup Clash with Leicester City
Liverpool are set to make sweeping changes to their lineup for their League Cup third-round clash with Leicester City on Wednesday evening. The Reds kick off their domestic cup campaign at Anfield against the recently relegated Foxes, and the meeting comes as part of a run of three games in just seven days across Europa League, Premier League and League Cup.
Pep Lijnders, Liverpool’s assistant manager, has signalled the team’s intention to make alterations to the lineup, saying it is “just a given” due to the hectic schedule. However, he also insisted that the Reds will be taking this competition seriously this season.
“First, we want to win the game, so that’s our first thought. We know that even more with the style we have, it takes a lot from the boys, not just physically but mentally. So we need to make changes in this kind of period, it’s just a given. Normally in the cup, we make more changes and give debuts, but we are not only here to give debuts, we are here to develop.”
Lijnders went on to explain that staying in the League Cup until the end of the season is beneficial for the team as it keeps all players hungry and provides them with constant game time. One likely change for Wednesday’s game is the introduction of 17-year-old winger Ben Doak, who has impressed since making the move from Celtic last summer.
“He’s young so a lot of things can happen. I had the privilege of growing up in Holland and we have this long tactical culture of Johan Cruyff and the idea of having the wingers on the outside to create, can really use one-v-ones to disorganise the opposition, they have this speed. Overmars, Arjen Robben, this kind of player, in the past it was [Johnny] Rep, [Rob] Rensenbrink. So we have this culture of wingers, but you get a young winger from Scotland, only 17 years old, but has this capacity to create and to reach the final line with individual skill and movement, it’s nice to see.”
Lijnders also praised Doak for his willingness to learn from senior players such as Andy Robertson and Diogo Jota. He believes it is “really nice” for young players to be part of the squad and that they can learn a lot from experienced players.
Liverpool will be hoping their changes will pay off when they face Leicester City on Wednesday evening in what promises to be an exciting match. With both teams looking to make an impression in the League Cup, it is sure to be an entertaining game for fans.