Pre Match: Liverpool vs Fulham, League Cup SF1 Wed 10th Jan '24 KO 20:00 BST

  VS

Liverpool have Virgil van Dijk available again for the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Fulham, but will be forced into a change at right-back.
The Reds will be missing Trent Alexander-Arnold for the 8pm GMT kick-off, however, with the No.66 set to be sidelined for ‘a few weeks’ as a result of a knee injury suffered at Arsenal on Sunday.

“Trent hyperextended his knee during the last game,” said Lijnders. “So he has a little tear in the lateral ligament of his knee and he will need time to recover. He had a scan and he will be out for a few weeks, so let’s see after that.”

Also absent due to fitness issues will be Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic, Ben Doak, Joel Matip, Andy Robertson, Dominik Szoboszlai and Kostas Tsimikas, while Wataru Endo and Mohamed Salah are away on international duty with Japan and Egypt respectively.

Caoimhin Kelleher’s status as ongoing first-choice goalkeeper in the Carabao Cup was confirmed by Lijnders ahead of the game.

On the possibility of rotation versus Marco Silva’s men, the Dutchman added: “It’s not the same [as previous rounds] because we played two days ago away at Arsenal, so that’s one.

“We come from a crazy schedule in December, so we really have to see who’s ready, who can go and who is fit to go. We are really happy that we play a semi-final in January, we wanted this. So we go full in.”

An appearance for Joe Gomez in this fixture would bring up the milestone of 200 Liverpool appearances for the defender.
https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/liverpool-v-fulham-carabao-cup-team-news


Bjg game, lets do this, and get it over in the 1st leg.

Kelleher

Bradley
Quansah
VVD
Gomez

Gary Mac
Gravenburch
Jones

Diaz
Jota
Nunez

Kelleher

Bradley
Quansah
VVD
Gomez

Gary Mac
Gravenburch
Jones

Diaz
Jota
Nunez

Exactly my team.

NB: Team no longer available

Fulham had a right go in the league here but I doubt they will be thinking lets go head to head or anything like it, even if they go a goal down, their emphasis will on defense.

Boro V Chelsea is lame stuff. 1-0.

Konate plays for me instead of Quansah with Bradley on right side

Don't think I'll ever get this two legged semi final bollocks. Just play it at Villa Park and get it sorted on the night.

Reckon there could be 5/6 changes so expect a few of the kids to feature, Virgil will be back to organise the back four with Kelleher between the sticks, only Jürgen & Our Pep will know who will start and who will finish, be nice to take a 2 or 3 goal lead back to the Cottage but I’d settle for a single goal advantage….anyone’s guess who starts..but here’s my penny’s worth…..


Starters….

                        Kelleher
     Bradley  Quansah  Virgil  Chambers
                         Macca
             Elliot                 Jones
          Diaz         Jota        Nunez

Bench …. Adrian, Pitaluga, Konate, Gomez, Gakpo, Clark, Gordon, then F**k knows ran out of names 🤪



2-1 Mighty Redmen & some kids 😉


YNWA
   

Kelleher

Bradley
Quansah
VVD
Gomez

Gary Mac
Gravenburch
Jones

Diaz
Jota
Nunez

It has to be this team!

Kelleher

Bradley
Quansah
VVD
Gomez

>>>Gary<<< Mac
Gravenburch
Jones

Diaz
Jota
Nunez

Definitely we can win the game with Gary instead of Alexis.

I hope we can win this game tonighrt by a comfortable margin. It would be nice to make the second leg a formality, although football does not always work that way.

A win tonight would round off the day celebrating my 70th birthday.

I hope we can win this game tonighrt by a comfortable margin. It would be nice to make the second leg a formality, although football does not always work that way.

A win tonight would round off the day celebrating my 70th birthday.

Have a great day , hopefully the reds play their part with a big win.

I hope we can win this game tonighrt by a comfortable margin. It would be nice to make the second leg a formality, although football does not always work that way.

A win tonight would round off the day celebrating my 70th birthday.

Made it to three score and ten. Congrats...happy birthday.

I hope we can win this game tonighrt by a comfortable margin. It would be nice to make the second leg a formality, although football does not always work that way.

A win tonight would round off the day celebrating my 70th birthday.

Happy Birthday, mate, 29 today over here! I am hoping for a decent present from the reds too!

I’m not as confident as everyone else it seems.
Ok Fulham aren’t great, but how many opportunities are those players gonna have of getting to Wembley for a final.
Not many I’d guess.
I’d therefore expect them to defend with their lives and hope for a sneaky counter.
We don’t do well against a 10 man defensive wall generally, add to that we are under strength.
I think it’s gonna be a bit of a struggle. Even if we score, that won’t change how they play, as they’ll just be going for damage limitation.
Hope we bang 4 or 5 in, but just don’t see it happening 🤷‍♂️
If we get the breaks we might muster a 1-0  and I think it will be pretty much the same in the return leg.

I hope we can win this game tonighrt by a comfortable margin. It would be nice to make the second leg a formality, although football does not always work that way.

A win tonight would round off the day celebrating my 70th birthday.

birthday salutes young man.

A win tonight would round off the day celebrating my 70th birthday.

Happy Birthday, mate, 29 today over here! I am hoping for a decent present from the reds too!

Happy birthday both! The boys cannot lose now.

Who cares. Training game under serious conditions for Bournemouth.

Who cares. Training game under serious conditions for Bournemouth.

Would imagine fans ,players  and alike do

I thought Diaz had a much stronger 2nd half at the weekend once he switched to the right hand side. I'd look to play him there for this one with Diaz on the left and Jota through the middle (or vice versa).

Interesting to see if Harvey gets a start in midfield or will Klopp go with Gravenburch.

I get wrapping Ibou up in cotton wool - but God I wish he wasn't so injury prone that we didn't have to 'manage his minutes' and could play every game! He seemed to 'come of age' against the Arse!
Bothered a wee bit about Macca (and I don't mean Gary either ) he looked well knackered. 60 mins for him probably - can't see him lasting the full 90 so hope that we're up a few by then!
Fulham came and gave it a go in the League so I expect they'll do the same tonight - with only 180 minutes before a possible trip to Wembley I think they'll be hoping for a draw and not a loss.
Given we're missing Trent, Endo and Mo (to name but 3)  they'll probably fancy their chances!

(And on a completely different note was it just me who saw the Oily ones reject Palmer behave like a spoilt brat last night and stomp off down the tunnel not shaking hands or acknowledging opposition or his own fans? Little brat. But then again he's in good company with the no class Chavs)

Who cares. Training game under serious conditions for Bournemouth.

It’s a semi final of a domestic cup

I thought Diaz had a much stronger 2nd half at the weekend once he switched to the right hand side. I'd look to play him there for this one with Diaz on the left and Jota through the middle (or vice versa).

Interesting to see if Harvey gets a start in midfield or will Klopp go with Gravenburch.

Nunez - Jota - Diaz
Will do damage

It’s a semi final of a domestic cup

And money is important whether we like it or not, so domestic cup runs bring in decent coin so we take the cups seriously. Ditto the Europa league.