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Liverpool’s Under-21 head coach Rob Page may have inadvertently provided a hint as to Arne Slot’s selection plans for the upcoming Carabao Cup tie against Southampton.
The Reds host the Championship club on Tuesday with Slot already promising to make wholesale changes for the cup tie. The Dutchman revealed after the weekend victory over Everton that Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah will all be rested.
The quintet played 270 minutes across a seven-day spell in which Liverpool beat Burnley, Atletico Madrid and Everton. Rotating the squad has been of paramount importance to Slot in the last week, and he is expected to name an experimental line-up at Anfield on Tuesday.
There’s every chance that several youngsters could be handed a rare opportunity in the team, as hinted by Page’s team selection for the Under-21s’ match against Manchester United on Sunday.
Page opted not to select Trey Nyoni and Jayden Danns, despite neither being selected in the squad to face Everton on Saturday.
The pair were named among the substitutes for the midweek Champions League win over Atletico but have not played for the senior team this season.
Nyoni and Danns are likely to feature on Tuesday, while fellow youngster Rio Ngumoha could be handed just his second-ever Liverpool start.
Kieran Morrison and Tommy Pilling, who have been regulars this season for the Under-21s, were also not involved on Sunday, perhaps hinting that they could feature against Southampton.
Kaide Gordon, a figure fans will be familiar with from his first-team cameos under Jurgen Klopp, was also omitted from the Under-21 team, but has been in and out of the side this season.
Giorgi Mamardashvili and Giovanni Leoni could be in line to make their debuts in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup third-round tie, while the likes of Joe Gomez, Wataru Endo and Federico Chiesa are among those who may feature in Slot’s makeshift line-up.
Meanwhile, Page’s youngsters lost 2-1 against United at Kirkby. Michael Laffey nodded the Reds in front in the 11th minute, before Chido Obi’s near-post finish brought the visitors back on level terms just before the break.
Right-back Jaydan Kamason tapped in the winner late on after a well-worked team move.
The result means Liverpool’s Under-21s have picked up just three points from their opening four league matches of the campaign. Page took charge of the youth team this summer, replacing long-term coach Barry Lewtas.
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