Arne Slot has confirmed his Liverpool team and starting line-up for the clash with Southampton in the Carabao Cup

Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to start at left-back and Wataru Endo is named at centre-half for Liverpool’s Carabao Cup quarter-final at Southampton. Alexis Mac Allister returns in midfield for his first game in two weeks after the postponement of the Merseyside derby moved his Premier League suspension to Saturday’s draw with Fulham.

Head coach Arne Slot had promised to get creative with his team and the Dutch boss has proven true to his word with a back four that likely sees Joe Gomez partner Endo and Jarell Quansah named at right-back.

In midfield, Tyler Morton starts alongside Mac Allister while 17-year-old Trey Nyoni makes his full senior debut having came off the bench against the Saints to become one of the youngest players in club history for the FA Cup victory at Anfield earlier this year.

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Harvey Elliott gets his first start of the season while Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez are named up top as the Reds go in search of a second successive last-four place in the League Cup.

Neither Virgil van Dijk nor Mohamed Salah have travelled but teenage winger Rio Ngumoha is part of the substitutes’ bench for what is his first match-day involvement with the seniors since moving from Chelsea in the summer.

Federico Chiesa and Diogo Jota are once more named on the bench for Slot’s team and they are joined by the likes of James McConnell, James Norris and Jayden Danns, while centre-back Amara Nallo is also selected.

Elsewhere in the last-eight ties, Crystal Palace are entertained by Arsenal, Newcastle United welcome Brentford while Manchester United visit Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday evening.

Liverpool have reached the quarter-final stage by beating Premier League opposition in West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Liverpool: Kelleher; Quansah, Endo, Gomez, Alexander-Arnold; Morton, Mac Allister; Elliott, Nyoni, Gakpo; Nunez.

Subs: Jaros Chiesa, Jota, Tsimikas, McConnell, Nallo, Ngumoha, Danns, Norris.