Overview

• Slot publicly ruled out appearances for Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Mohamed Salah, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai in the third round against Southampton.
• Giorgi Mamardashvili is widely expected to make his Liverpool debut in goal as he begins his path as a long‑term understudy to Alisson Becker.
• Teenage centre‑back Giovanni Leoni is tipped for a first start, with Joe Gomez reported to be in line to partner him in a rotated back line.
• Reports indicate Alexander Isak could start or log extended minutes to build match fitness following limited pre‑season preparation.
• Previews predict a 4‑2‑3‑1 setup featuring opportunities for youngsters such as Rio Ngumoha, Trey Nyoni and Curtis Jones as Liverpool prioritizes development in this competition.