Andoni Iraola will make changes to his Liverpool side when Tottenham Hotspur visit Anfield in the Carabao Cup third round on Tuesday night.
The tie arrives after a punishing run of fixtures for the Reds, who followed a 2-0 Premier League win at Ipswich Town with a 2-1 Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid before being held to a goalless draw by Fulham at Anfield on Saturday.
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Iraola admitted his players had lacked freshness against Fulham after their European exertions, and he used his pre-match press conference at the AXA Training Centre on Monday to confirm that several squad members yet to feature this season will be given the chance to start.
Tottenham arrive on Merseyside off the back of their own goalless draw, a 0-0 result away at Everton in the Premier League on Sunday.
“I am really happy with the squad,” Iraola said. “Tomorrow we will see some players we haven’t seen yet, to see whether they can help us.”
Among the changes will be a switch in goal.
Giorgi Mamardashvili is set to start in place of Liverpool first-choice goalkeeper Alisson.
“Will I change the goalkeeper? Yes,” Iraola said. “Alisson is proven, he is playing very well. I rate Giorgi [Mamardashvili] very highly, I know him from his years in Spain. We tried to sign him for Bournemouth before I came here, he is a very good goalkeeper. He is going to start tomorrow.”
Iraola also confirmed a boost in defence, with Joe Gomez back in training and available for selection for the first time this season.
The defender has not featured competitively since picking up an injury in a pre-season friendly in July.
“Joe is training with the team and is available for tomorrow,” Andoni Iraola said. “It’s a matter of deciding how much he can play.”
Liverpool are thin at centre-back for the tie. Giovanni Leoni remains sidelined, and Gomez was not considered fit enough for the bench against Fulham at the weekend.
Elsewhere, Jeremie Frimpong could return to the side after recently making way for Ronald Araujo, and a decision is still to be made at left-back following Kostas Tsimikas’s half-time substitution against Fulham.
Victory would send Liverpool into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup as they continue to balance their Premier League and Champions League commitments with the domestic cup competition under their new head coach.
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FK Mladost Lucani stadium
FK Mladost Lucani stadium