Iraola hints at Liverpool rotation ahead of League Cup clash with Tottenham

Rotation amid a hectic schedule

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola indicated at his Monday press conference that he plans to rotate his squad for Tuesday's EFL Cup third-round tie against Tottenham Hotspur, kicking off at 20:00 BST at Anfield. Iraola said the intense run of fixtures — match, two days' rest, match — means he has "to learn who can play every three days." He cited new signing Jeremy Jacquet as an example of a player whose ability to cope with such a schedule over two months is still untested, in contrast to experienced players such as Virgil van Dijk, who has proven he can handle it.

Iraola also pushed back on the idea that the League Cup ranks below other competitions for Liverpool: "We want to win the game, we want to play well," he said, adding that rotating or resting players offers no guarantee of winning the next match.

Goalkeeper and defensive updates

According to the BBC, Giorgi Mamardashvili will start in goal against Spurs. Liverpool's official website reports that defender Joe Gomez, sidelined since a muscle injury in the pre-season friendly against Sunderland in late July, resumed full training with the squad last week and is expected to be available. "He is training with the team. I think he's going to be available for tomorrow, and now it's a matter of deciding how much he can play," Iraola said.

Conor Bradley's return from a long-term knee injury, however, is "going to take some time," according to the manager. Bradley is currently training alone and has only recently started touching the ball again; Iraola noted that fellow defender Giovanni Leoni is slightly further along in his own recovery.

Duels issue against Fulham

Asked about the team's struggles winning duels, Iraola explained that against Fulham Liverpool recovered the ball lower on the pitch than in previous games, which made it harder to attack against a full defensive line. He stressed the issue is a collective one rather than specific to the midfield.

Form and head-to-head

Per BBC's statistics, Liverpool's recent results include a 0-0 draw with Fulham, wins over Atletico Madrid (2-1) and Ipswich Town (2-0), and 2-2 draws with Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United. Tottenham have drawn 0-0 with both Everton and Forest, lost 0-2 to Newcastle and 0-3 to Brentford, but beat Charlton Athletic 5-1 in the League Cup. Recent meetings between the two sides have been mixed, including a 5-1 Liverpool win at Anfield in the corresponding fixture last season.