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Liverpool have regularly caused a stir with their team’s teams in the League Cup during the Jurgen Klopp era.
Even when, as was the case in his last outing in the competition against Aston Villa, the Reds boss wasn’t even there.
Since reaching the final and semi-final in his first two seasons in charge, Klopp has used the League Cup to give marginal players minutes and increasingly provide first-team exposure to Academy graduates.
It will be more of the same when Liverpool travel to Lincoln City in League One on Thursday, although assistant coach Pep Lijnders has suggested the team will be stronger than many suspect.
That may well be because the Reds now have greater strength in depth, in part because of that prior disposition to young blood.
But at LNER Stadium, the biggest interest may be in who is not on the team.
And that’s not referring to players like Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, all of whom will be given a well-deserved break.
Instead, the absences of certain fringe players could indicate that their time at Liverpool could be coming to an end, if not permanently, at least temporarily, with the transfer deadline approaching October 5.
Harry Wilson already appears to be one, with Burnley in talks about a move for the Welsh winger.
There will be others. Marko Grujic was an unused replacement in the Community Shield last month, but with Borussia Moenchengladbach one of several clubs interested in the £ 20 million midfielder, it would be a surprise to see him involved in Lincoln.
Also Rhian Brewster. So far, Sheffield United have been the most interested in the 20-year-old, but the line of potential suitors is considerable.
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Loris Karius may believe he can bench at Lincoln – Caoimhin Kelleher appeared for the U21 team in their 6-1 loss to Wigan Athletic in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday – but a failure would be the final confirmation that he has no future at Anfield.
Ben Woodburn, wanted by Sparta Rotterdam on loan, was another player in the Under 21s and it would be a surprise to see him involved.
And then there’s Nathaniel Phillips, although he may be needed as a central defender with Klopp out of options.
Liverpool’s roster on Thursday will not only be instructive for the next 90 minutes, but perhaps for months and years to come.
How seriously should Liverpool take the Carabao Cup? Express your opinion in the comment section.
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