Jurgen Klopp will be fielding youngsters on Wednesday night against Arsenal (Picture: Getty Images)

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is set to field a number of young players against Arsenal in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night, players which he describes as having the ‘perfect amount of hunger.’

Both teams are set to be much-changed for the fourth round tie at Anfield, with the League Cup low on the list of priorities for Klopp and Gunners boss Unai Emery.

Liverpool played a side featuring a number of their brightest youngsters in the previous round as they comfortably saw off MK Dons 2-0, and Klopp was very impressed with a number of them.

The Liverpool boss says the youngsters’ ‘ability is not in question’ and now hopes that can show other qualities in a big game against Arsenal.




‘Tonight [Wednesday] we select a team to win. Winning is our first, second and third motivation – the only motivation always,’ Klopp wrote in the official matchday programme.

‘Although not certain, the strong likelihood is that a number of our younger players will feature in some capacity tonight.

‘In Milton Keynes, Caoimhin Kelleher, Ki-Jana Hoever, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Rhian Brewster all started and equipped themselves superbly. Herbie Kane, Pedro Chirivella and Sepp van den Berg all came on off the bench. Ki-Jana isn’t available to us at the moment because he is away with the Dutch national team with his respective age group.

‘The attitude these players showed in the last round is exactly what will be required this evening, if again given the opportunity.

Caoimhin Kelleher will start in goal at Anfield (Picture: Getty Images)

‘They show the right attitude and the perfect amount of hunger each and every day they train with us at Melwood. They show us, in their actions, that they understand what an immense privilege it is to represent a club like Liverpool – it’s a honour all of us blessed to work here feel.

‘Clearly the ability of these players is not in question. It is their talent that has brought them here and kept them here. At this stage of their careers it is about a variety of other factors – and being ready to grasp an opportunity is a big part of it.’

The Reds are back in Premier League action at Aston Villa on Saturday, so Klopp will not want to risk any of his star names, especially those who have been struggling with injuries.

Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk both have minor knocks and are very unlikely to feature at Anfield, although the likes of Naby Keita, Adam Lallana and Divock Origi are likely to make appearances.

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