Liverpool v Chelsea: EFL Cup preview, predicted line-ups & team news

Liverpool and Chelsea meet at Anfield on Wednesday 28 October with a place in the EFL Cup quarter-finals at stake. The tie is a single match, so there is no second leg to recover in. Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola has said there will definitely be changes to his starting XI. That makes the depth of each squad as relevant as the first-choice sides. The bookmaker price reflects a tight contest: bet365 make Liverpool 5/4 for the 90 minutes, the draw 11/4 and Chelsea 9/5. The two clubs have met 10 times in the supplied head-to-head record, with five draws, three Liverpool wins and two Chelsea wins, so a level score after 90 minutes is a live possibility.

Liverpool have played once in the competition this season, beating Tottenham 3-1 at home on 15 September. The season data shows they averaged 12 shots per game in that tie, with 5 on target and 55% possession. They did concede 9 corners, however, against 5 won, which suggests Tottenham had spells of territorial pressure.

an average of 4.0 per game, from 21 shots per game and an average expected-goals figure of 3.19. They have also conceded 3, so their defensive record is less convincing than the attack. Daniel Welbeck is their joint-highest cup scorer on the supplied list, with 3 goals from 2 appearances. Chelsea arrive after a 2-0 Premier League defeat to Tottenham.

Liverpool's rotation is partly forced by the calendar. Iraola made six changes for the Champions League win over Villarreal, then four for the Premier League win over Brighton on Sunday. He has said a squad playing every three days needs to rotate, and that some changes are forced by availability. Chelsea face a similar balance. The cup is their first chance of domestic silverware this season, which argues for a strong side. However, so Alonso is likely to pick from a wider group than he might wish. Chelsea's 4-2-3-1 and 3-4-2-1 shapes have both appeared in the competition this season.

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Mamardashvili; Gomez, Araújo, Jacquet, Tsimikas; Endo, Nyoni; Barcola, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak. Wirtz is the main fitness question, and Mac Allister or Gravenberch could replace one of the midfield pair if Iraola limits the changes.

Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Penders; Acheampong, Colwill, Fofana; Gusto, Lavia, Caicedo, Palestra; Rogers, Estêvão; Welbeck. The back three is the likeliest area for rotation, with Lacroix the alternative to Fofana.

Kick-off is at 8pm on Wednesday 28 October (UK time, which is GMT after the clocks went back). The club says the match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports and ITV in the UK. That means Sky Sports coverage and a free-to-air showing on ITV1 and ITVX. If the scores are level after 90 minutes, the tie goes straight to a penalty shootout, with no extra time. This is a single-leg tie.