When Liverpool visits Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, they may move one step closer to defending their Carabao Cup title and taking home their first trophy under Arne Slot.
Three days before Christmas, the Reds defeated Spurs 6-3 in the Premier League, and now they go to north London for the opening leg of their semi-final. They would be in a strong position to advance to the main event for the third time in four seasons with a similarly decisive win.
With Joe Gomez as the only known absence for the trip to Tottenham, Slot has been lucky to avoid injuries during the holiday season. Liverpool is ready to exploit their unfortunate opponents, whose team has been severely weakened by injuries this season.
Liverpool's possible lineup at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is shown here.
Liverpool predicted lineup vs Tottenham [4-2-3-1]
GK: Caoimhin Kelleher – Kelleher has been the Carabao Cup's preferred goalie and might continue to start in the latter stages. The No. 62 for Liverpool is one of the best deputies in English football.
LB: Kostas Tsimikas – Despite playing a lot of games throughout the holiday season, Andy Robertson's form has been inconsistent. Tsimikas, who will be occupied with livewire Brennan Johnson, might take his place.
CB: Vigil Van Dijk – During the weekend, Van Dijk frequently appeared perplexed by his colleagues, and he will be hoping for a more resilient showing from them against Spurs. Dominic Solanke, a former teammate, will put the Dutchman to the test in the capital.
CB: Jarell Quansah – Even if he hasn't impressed under Slot, Quansah might step in. Ibrahima Konate also made his comeback against Manchester United, but given his fitness record, the Frenchman is unlikely to play in back-to-back games so soon after his return.
RB: Conor Bradley – Trent Alexander-Arnold might not be in the spotlight on Wednesday due to his shocking performance against Manchester United over the weekend and ongoing talks over his future. Bradley, who recently recovered from an injury, is a great reserve option.
DM: Alexis Mac Allister – Mac Allister has been in excellent creative form and scored an opportune header in the six-goal victory last month. He split Manchester United's defense with a brilliant pass as Liverpool equalized over the weekend, and he has now contributed three assists in his last three games for the Reds.
DM: Ryan Gravenberch – It will be the Dutch midfielder's responsibility to silence the unstoppable Dejan Kulusevski, which proved challenging during Liverpool's victory over Spurs in December.
Lw: Cody Gakpo – Despite being one of the few players who did not score or assist against Tottenham recently, the outstanding Dutch forward has managed four goals and two assists in his last six games.
AM: Curtis Jones – Jones might be selected because Dominik Szoboszlai, who was the star of this match at the end of the previous season, is unlikely to play because of illness. Although he wasn't playing at his best against Manchester United, he will be eager to shake up a struggling Spurs defense.
RW: Mohamed Salah – After extending his stellar goal-scoring record against Manchester United over the weekend, the Egyptian is poised to do so again against Tottenham. In 21 games, including four in December, he has scored 14 goals and contributed four assists.
ST: Diogo Jota – Due to Gakpo and Luis Diaz's outstanding play, Jota hasn't started for the Reds since he recovered from an injury in December. On Wednesday, though, he might start right away because Darwin Nunez is having trouble and Diaz might be rested.