Liverpool’s Senior Players Eager to Kickstart New Era with Silverware
Liverpool’s assistant boss, Pepijn Lijnders, has revealed that the senior players at the club are determined to begin the new era by winning trophies. This comes ahead of Liverpool’s Carabao Cup quarter-final match against West Ham on Wednesday night.
Contrary to expectations of a heavily rotated squad for the cup tie, Lijnders hinted that Liverpool will field a strong team. He emphasized the importance of playing in finals to build a competitive team. The Carabao Cup holds significance as it offers the opportunity to compete in a semi-final in January. Lijnders expressed his delight in witnessing the ambition and desire for more trophies from players like Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and others.
The video embedded in the article features Pepijn Lijnders’ pre-match press conference.
It is evident that Liverpool is taking the Carabao Cup seriously, and key players such as Salah, Van Dijk, Konate, and Alexander-Arnold could be involved in the game. The absence of extra time allows Jurgen Klopp to introduce substitutes with a clear understanding of their maximum playing time.
Due to injuries in midfield and attack, Klopp has limited options and is compelled to rely on senior stars. Lijnders provided an update on Ryan Gravenberch’s injury, stating that it is not serious and he may even train on Tuesday. However, Alexis Mac Allister’s injury is more severe, ruling him out until the New Year. Additionally, teenage winger Ben Doak requires knee surgery, while Diogo Jota is training alone and unlikely to feature against Arsenal as the club takes a cautious approach to his hamstring injury.
The other Carabao Cup quarter-final matches will take place on Tuesday night, allowing Liverpool to know their semi-final opponents before their own game on Wednesday.
With strong teams like Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, Arsenal, and either Chelsea or Newcastle potentially eliminated from the competition, Liverpool has a realistic chance of winning the Carabao Cup.