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Liverpool face Southampton in the Carabao Cup.
Liverpool under-21s are without several players for their clash against Crystal Palace this afternoon.
Barry Lewtas’ side play their final Premier League 2 match before the winter break. However, the young Reds are short of five members of their squad - which could be a hint for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final tie against Southampton. Liverpool head coach Arne Slot may want to make changes and rest some key players, while he is also struggling with availability in defence.
With Andy Robertson suspended after being sent off in the 2-2 draw against Fulham, along with fellow left-back Kostas Tsimikas sidelined with an ankle injury, there have been some suggestions that James Norris could feature. The 21-year-old has trained regularly with Slot’s troops and made his Liverpool debut five years ago. That came in a 5-0 loss to Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup when the first team were at the Club World Cup in Qatar.
Trey Nyoni was an unused substitute against Fulham and is another who has regularly rubbed shoulders with Mo Salah and Co. at the AXA Training Centre. The 17-year-old came off the bench in the 3-2 win over Brighton in the previous round of the competition and caught the eye in pre-season.
With Conor Bradley (hamstring) and Ibrahima Konate (knee) unavailable, Amara Nallo has been training with the first team of late. The 17-year-old is a centre-back who signed from West Ham in the summer of 2023. Meanwhile, Jayden Danns - who scored a double in a 3-0 win over Southampton in the FA Cup last season - is also not playing for the under-21s against Palace.
Danns missed several months of the season because of a back injury suffered in the summer. But the 18-year-old striker has been involved in training since returning from injury and scored a penalty for the Reds under-19s in a 2-2 draw against Girona in the UEFA Youth League last week.
In addition, James McConnell is not featuring against Palace. The midfielder, 20, also recently bounced back from a fitness issue. McConnell made nine appearances for the Reds in 2023-24, with three coming as a substitute in the Premier League. Danns and McConnell were memorably introduced in Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley.
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