Trey Nyoni and Jayden Danns and two more academy players look likely to be involved for Liverpool’s senior team against Southampton on Tuesday night.
The Reds trade Premier League action for League Cup commitments in midweek, playing at Anfield in a third round clash.
Arne Slot is expected to ring the changes for Liverpool, having already confirmed that Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah won’t play on Tuesday.
Experienced heads such as Joe Gomez, Wataru Endo and Federico Chiesa are set to start instead for the Reds, but opportunities should also arise for youngsters.
On Sunday, Nyoni and Danns were not part of Liverpool U21s’ squad to face Man United in Premier League 2, hinting at them being involved on Tuesday.
Both have played a part in the competition in the past, making a combined four appearances in it.
Nyoni’s last appearance for Liverpool’s first team came in the FA Cup loss to Plymouth back in January, while Danns started away to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League that same month.
Also absent from the under-21s’ match on Sunday were Tommy Pilling and Kieran Morrison, so they should be involved in some capacity at Anfield on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Kaide Gordon also didn’t play for the under-21s on Sunday, but he won’t necessarily face Southampton, having not played for the senior team since February 2024.
As mentioned, a weakened Liverpool XI will line up, with Slot saying after the derby: “The ones that played three times 90 [minutes] are Virgil, Ibou, Mo, Ryan and Dom – the ones that are used to this intensity and this level.
“And again they showed up really good. I can tell you now you won’t be seeing them on Tuesday.”
• READ: Arne Slot names 5 Liverpool players who won’t play vs. Southampton
In terms of the team that Slot will pick, debuts for Giorgi Mamardashvili and Giovanni Leoni are likely, with Gomez, Endo, Curtis Jones and Chiesa also earning minutes.
Record summer signings Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak may even feature, as they look to further adjust to their new club, while prodigious teenager Rio Ngumoha is also expected to be a prominent figure.
Potential Liverpool XI vs. Southampton: Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Gomez, Leoni, Robertson; Endo, Jones, Nyoni; Chiesa, Ngumoha, Isak