Naby Keita is set to feature in a much-changed Liverpool side at MK Dons in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night. Midfielder Keita is back in full training following the hip injury he picked up against Chelsea in the Super Cup in August and is in contention to play at least some part against the League One side on Wednesday.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp could change his entire side for the third-round clash and give several fringe players and youngsters the chance to impress.
Current back-up goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher is set to make his first-team debut, while striker Rhian Brewster is also expected to make his senior bow.
Summer recruits Harvey Elliott and Sepp van den Berg will also hope to start and there could be opportunities for Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Joe Gomez and Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain.
Xherdan Shaqiri would probably have been in line for a rare start too but he has picked up an untimely calf injury and misses out and Divock Origi is still unavailable due to an ankle injury.
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Sadio Mane sustained a knock in the win over Chelsea on Sunday and is not in the squad, while fellow forwards Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino are also likely to be given the night off. Other first-team regulars Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson should also make way.
Assistant boss Pep Lijnders says the plan is to make full use of the squad for the EFL Cup tie, in what is the first-ever meeting between MK Dons and Liverpool.
He said: “Of course, we want to use our squad. From the outside we say ‘squad’, from the inside we say ‘team’, so it’s a chance for a few players who didn’t play [in] the last weeks 90 minutes who can start the game.”
Following Wednesday’s clash at Stadium MK, Liverpool return to Premier League action at Sheffield United on Saturday when they will aim to extend their winning start to the season to seven games.
