Sipke Hulshoff and former Everton defender John Heitinga will be in the dugout for Liverpool due to Arne Slot's suspension
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Sipke Hulshoff (middle) and John Heitinga (left) with head coach Arne Slot (right).
Sipke Hulshoff (middle) and John Heitinga (left) will be in the dugout for Liverpool's Carabao Cup quarter-final against Southampton.
(Image: Photo by Edith Geuppert - GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot will be forced to watch their Carabao Cup quarter-final from the stands as Sipke Hulshoff and John Heitinga take charge of the Reds. Following a yellow card during the 2-2 draw with Fulham in the Premier League, Slot will now serve a one-match touchline ban after accumulating three caution in the opening four months of his tenure at Anfield.
Southampton are looking to end Liverpool's defence of the League Cup with a place in the last-four at stake on Wednesday night. The Saints are beginning life without Russell Martin after the promotion-winning manager was sacked on Sunday following their 5-0 defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur.
With a mounting injury list, Slot will be forced to name changes from the side that twice fought back to earn a point at home to Fulham, following Andy Robertson's first-half red card.
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As a result of Slot's suspension, first assistant coach Hulshoff and assistant Heitinga will be barking orders from the touchline. Despite being suspended for the trip to St Mary's, Slot met with the assembled media on Tuesday and praised the work of his backroom staff.
"Sipke I worked with for a long time so we knew each other in and out, especially football-wise," he began. "It's one of the reasons we work together because we have so much in common if it's about playing style, game model or the changes we make during the game.
"John Heitinga is here with me for the first half of the season and I couldn't have wished for more. A very, if I say talented I don't rate him high enough because he's more than that.
"He's been a head coach before, still young but grew into our staff from the start in a good manner and has the same idea about football - that's why I chose him. The way he is with the boys, same with Sipke, we almost do things together.
"They get a lot of time to work the players individual way but lead parts of sessions, they have the same idea as I do about football. I will be involved tomorrow but if I wouldn't be, it wouldn't be a problem at all, the players won't know anything different.
"We talk about the technical staff but we can see how much of a compliment our performance and medical staff should have if you look at how our players come back when you look at Allison and Diogo. But also when we have 10 but the opponent says it felt like we had 11 - that tells you about the technical staff but also the players - I give them enough compliments so let's stay with performance and medical staff in my backroom staff."