Two Liverpool players are at risk of suffering a Carabao Cup suspension when they head to Southampton on Wednesday night.
The Reds make the trip to Saints for a midweek quarter-final clash, with Arne Slot expected to ring the changes at St Mary’s.
Jarell Quansah and Wataru Endo are both likely to start the game, but they will need to be careful of picking up a yellow card.
If booked in this game, they will miss the first leg of the semi-final, should Liverpool proceed.
Kelleher & Liverpool’s penalty record bodes well
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Wednesday, November 27, 2024: Liverpool's goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher celebrates after saving a penalty from Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé during the UEFA Champions League game between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid CF at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Slot has confirmed that Caoimhin Kelleher will replace Alisson on Wednesday evening.
The Irishman has saved more penalties in shootouts (6) than any other goalkeeper in Liverpool’s history, one more than Pepe Reina.
Kelleher saved three spot-kicks in the 2022 win over Derby and has won four penalty shootouts with a 100 per cent winning record.
Liverpool have been involved in 15 League Cup penalty shootouts, winning 11 of them, and they have won 20 of 27, in all competitions, including each of the last four.
Opening goal key at St Mary’s
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - Sunday, November 24, 2024: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah takes off his shirt as he celebrates after scoring the winning third goal during the FA Premier League match between Southampton FC and Liverpool FC at St Mary's Stadium. Liverpool won 3-2. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Liverpool have led in 20 of their 23 games played this season, and have won all 16 fixtures in which they have scored the game’s opening goal.
The Reds have failed to score in only one of their last 27 matches – the 1-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest back in September.
Only one home team have prevented Liverpool from scoring since April 2023 – Everton in last April’s Merseyside derby.
That means they have scored in 43 of their last 44 matches played away from Anfield.
A 20th League Cup semi-final for Reds?
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Wednesday, September 26, 2018: The Football League Cup trophy, with Carabao branding, on display before the Football League Cup 3rd Round match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Liverpool are aiming to reach a 20th League Cup semi-final on Wednesday evening, which would be a record for the competition.
Meanwhile, this is their 26th quarter-final in the tournament’s history.
This is the eighth time Liverpool and Southampton have been drawn together in the League Cup, which includes the semi-finals in 1987 and 2017.
In the 2017 semi, Virgil van Dijk started for Saints in the first leg.
Saints a League Cup bogey side
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, October 28, 2017: Southampton's Virgil Van Dijk during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool and Southampton at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Southampton are the only team ever to beat Liverpool in both legs of a League Cup semi-final, preventing them from scoring in the process.
They were also the first team ever to knock the Reds out of the competition, winning 2-1 at Anfield in November 1960.
Saints have only won one of the last 15 meetings since winning 1-0 at Anfield in 2017, though.
That victory came in January 2021 when former Liverpool player Danny Ings scored the only goal in a home win.
This season’s scorers
2YX8FA7 Liverpool's Diogo Jota, left, celebrates with Liverpool's Darwin Nunez after scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Fulham, at Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Southampton: Archer 4, Harwood-Bellis 3, A. Armstrong 3, Aribo 2, Bree 2, Mateus Fernandes 2, Amo-Ameyaw 1, Dibling 1, Downes 1, Sugawara 1.
Liverpool: Salah 16, Diaz 9, Gakpo 8, Jota 5, Konate 2, Nunez 3, Szoboszlai 2, Van Dijk 2, Jones 2, Mac Allister 1.
* Stats courtesy of LFC statistician Ged Rea (@ged0407).