Liverpool travel to Deepdale to face Championship club Preston North End in the fourth round of the EFL Cup, and a win on Wednesday would see them progress to the quarter-finals.
The Reds, who defeated Norwich City in the last round, head into the upcoming cup fixture off the back of a five-star away showing against arch-rivals Manchester United over the weekend in the Premier League.
Preston North End, on the other hand, have reached the last 16 of the EFL Cup after sweeping aside the likes of Mansfield Town, Morecambe and Cheltenham Town and will be raring to cause a major upset at Deepdale.
Preston vs Liverpool – Team News
Preston
Alan Brown was sent off in the second half against Blackpool in the Championship at the weekend, so he is suspended for this EFL Cup fixture.
Liverpool loanee Sepp van den Berg is ineligible to play against his parent club, whereas Josh Murphy has been ruled out with an ankle ligament injury, adding to manager Frankie McAvoy’s selection headaches with Isaiah Brown, Ched Evans and Connor Wickham all side-lined as well.
💬 After a few weeks sidelined with injury, Ali McCann said he’s “buzzing” to be back involved ahead of Wednesday’s cup tie against Liverpool.
Hear more from Ali on iFollow PNE. 👇#pnefc
— Preston North End FC (@pnefc) October 25, 2021
However, the Lilywhites could have better news as far as injuries are concerned, with Matthew Olosunde and Alistair McCann in contention to return against Liverpool on Wednesday.
Declan Rudd will be in goal for Preston. In front of Rudd, there could be a few changes in defence with Sepp van den Berg’s ineligibility could see Joe Rafferty take his place at wing-back against Liverpool. Joshua Earl, Andrew Hughes, Jordan Storey and Patrick Bauer will complete the Lilywhites backline.
In midfield, Ben Whiteman is widely expected to start. With Alan Browne suspended, Ryan Ledson could take his place in the Preston engine room. Daniel Johnson will look to pull the strings from the No.10 role and help the home side create chances against an in-form Liverpool side.
Up front, McAvoy is likely to stick with the pairing of Scott Sinclair and Emil Riis Jakobsen.
Liverpool
James Milner limped off with a hamstring injury in the first half against Manchester United, while Naby Keita was stretchered off following a reckless two-footed red-card challenge from Paul Pogba.
Both Milner and Keita are set to miss out on the game at Deepdale as a result, while Fabinho is unlikely to feature after missing the Manchester United game due to a knock on his knee. Thiago Alcantara remains side-lined with a calf problem, whereas Caoimhin Kelleher faces a late fitness test.
Jürgen Klopp is set to ring wholesale changes to his side that demolished Manchester United at Old Trafford, starting from the goalkeeping position with Adrian set for a rare start.
The entire back four could be different against Preston, with fringe players Kostas Tsimikas and Neco Williams starting at full-back positions and Joe Gomez partnering Joel Matip at the heart of the Reds’ defence.
In midfield, skipper Jordan Henderson is set to keep his place and could be joined by Curtis Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on Wednesday.
Sadio Mane, who came off the bench against Manchester United, will look to provide energy, pace and creativity off the left flank. Takumi Minamino is expected to start against the Championship side with Divock Origi getting the nod ahead of Roberto Firmino to lead the Liverpool attack and get his season up and running.
Preston vs Liverpool – Predicted Lineups
Preston Predicted Lineup (3-4-1-2): Declan Rudd; Joe Rafferty, Jordan Storey, Patrick Bauer, Andrew Hughes, Joshua Earl; Ben Whiteman, Ryan Ledson; Daniel Johnson; Emil Riis Jakobsen, Scott Sinclair
Liverpool Predicted Lineup (4-3-3): Adrian; Neco Williams, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Kostas Tsimikas; Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jordan Henderson, Curtis Jones; Takumi Minamino, Divock Origi, Sadio Mane
Preston vs Liverpool – Key Players
Preston—Emil Riis Jakobsen
Emil Riis Jakobsen has been the rare bright spark for Preston in an otherwise disappointing campaign so far. With seven goals in 17 games, including four in three cup outings, the big Dane with his sheer strength and aerial prowess would represent the biggest threat for Liverpool in midweek.
Liverpool—Sadio Mane
Sadio Mane has the qualities to open up well-drilled defences, and with Preston’s backline not entirely convincing of late, the Senegalese will look to cause all kinds of problems with his pace, power and link-up play.
Prediction: Preston 0-3 Liverpool
