SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - Sunday, November 24, 2024: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah high-five's team-mates during the pre-match warm-up before the FA Premier League match between Southampton FC and Liverpool FC at St Mary's Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

7 Liverpool starters given night off as Kostas Tsimikas makes surprise return

Arne Slot has given seven players the night off as Liverpool take on Southampton in the Carabao Cup, while Kostas Tsimikas has made a surprise return.

Slot watches from the stands as a Liverpool side with eight changes from the weekend kicks off at St Mary’s on Wednesday night.

There was a first-ever start for 17-year-old midfielder Trey Nyoni, while Harvey Elliott makes his first start of an injury plagued campaign.

Slot has opted to retain Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez and Cody Gakpo from Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Fulham and start regulars Darwin Nunez and the eligible-again Alexis Mac Allister.

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But the head coach has given seven others the night off in a sensible decision ahead of the weekend’s trip to Tottenham.

Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch, Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah are all fit but did not make the trip to Southampton.

Another to miss out was Andy Robertson, though the left-back was unavailable due to suspension.

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Rio Ngumoha, the 16-year-old winger signed from Chelsea over the summer, is on the bench along with fellow academy teammates Amara Nallo, James Norris, James McConnell and Jayden Danns.

Another notable name among the substitutes is Tsimikas, who only returned to full training on Tuesday after six games out with an ankle injury.

COLUMBIA - Saturday, August 3, 2024: Liverpool's Kostas Tsimikas arrives before a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Manchester United FC at the Williams-Brice Stadium on day eleven of the club's pre-season tour of the USA. Liverpool won 3-0. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley are the only Liverpool players currently sidelined through injury.

In all likelihood, Alisson, Van Dijk, Robertson, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Diaz and Salah will all return to the starting lineup at Spurs.

And with Slot explaining in his pre-match press conference that he would “have to manage minutes if we want to use a few starters not for 90 minutes,” Alexander-Arnold, Gomez and Gakpo could all be expected to come off at some stage at St Mary’s.

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“We have to balance,” the Dutchman told reporters on Tuesday.

“I can only make five substitutions, the ones that make minutes and go off maybe at half-time can’t be more than five.”