Liverpool manager Arne Slot has an awkward problem to contend with this week. The Reds return to Carabao Cup action with a quarter-final trip to struggling Southampton following Saturday’s chaotic 2-2 draw with Fulham in which Andy Robertson added to Slot’s growing list of absentees.
Liverpool were boosted by the returns of Diogo Jota, who scored the second equaliser at Anfield after two months out, and Federico Chiesa, who made the substitutes’ bench for the first time since September 28. But Robertson was sent off and will miss one match - the midweek cup clash - as a result.
The Scot is the fourth defender unavailable. Ibrahima Konate (knee), Conor Bradley (hamstring) and Kostas Tsimikas (ankle) will likewise miss the trip to St Mary’s, the same venue Liverpool won 3-2 in the Premier League last month.
Slot has only four senior defenders - Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah - to select from at Southampton. Yet he will be reluctant to use some of them.
Van Dijk and Gomez both played the full 90 against Fulham while Alexander-Arnold was hooked in the 79th minute after Quansah had replaced Curtis Jones nine minutes earlier. Yet with the likes of Bradley and Tsimikas sidelined, Slot must either ask the tiring seniors to go again or revert to inexperienced youth.
At right-back, if the Dutchman decides to rest Alexander-Arnold ahead of the Sunday trip to Tottenham, it is unclear who he will turn to. Quansah, Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai are all unconventional stand-in options but they may be needed elsewhere.
Terence Miles, 20, or Josh Davidson, 19, could step up from the under-21s but neither have ever made a first-team appearance. As such, Slot may just ask Alexander-Arnold to play at least an hour on the south coast.
Van Dijk has played more minutes than any other player this season - including the full 90 in all of their 21 Premier League and Champions League outings. The Dutchman was an unused sub in the previous two rounds of the Carabao Cup and Slot will surely bench him here.
Quansah will likely step in after his 20-minute sub cameo against Fulham and will be partnered by either Gomez, teenager Amaro Nallo for his debut or a makeshift option like Wataru Endo.
If Gomez features at centre-back, that will leave no first-team option at left-back. But it would provide a centre-half partnership who have experience of playing alongside one another.
If it is Gomez and Quansah, 21-year-old James Norris will hope to start at left-back five years after his debut as a scholar in the Carabao Cup quarter-final loss to Aston Villa. Norris was on loan at Tranmere Rovers last season and so has some vital more recent senior experience.
In midfield, Ryan Gravenberch has earned a rest after a momentous effort at Anfield against Fulham. With Alexis Mac Allister available again, the Argentine could return to the team for some rhythm but perhaps more likely is that he gets half-an-hour from the bench.
The experienced Wataru Endo should get his first start since late October, next to Jones or Tyler Morton, while Harvey Elliott is in line for his very first of the season after injury. He could replace Mohamed Salah on the right wing with Dominik Szoboszlai at No.10.
Cody Gakpo has scored nine goals this season with four of them coming in this competition so he may start on the left with Jota, after his goalscoring return, leading the line. Darwin Nunez needs goals and confidence however so would be disappointed not to start. He and the fit-again Chiesa will both hope for minutes at St Mary’s.
Potential Liverpool XI vs Southampton: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Quansah, Norris; Endo, Jones; Elliott, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Jota
Potential Liverpool bench: Alisson, Van Dijk, Nallo, Morton, Mac Allister, Nyoni, Nunez, Chiesa, Salah
Players rested: Gravenberch, Diaz
Players unavailable: Andy Robertson (suspended), Ibrahima Konate (injury), Conor Bradley (injury) and Kostas Tsimikas (injury)