Liverpool host Chelsea on the evening of Wednesday 28 October 2026 at Anfield in the English League Cup round of 16. The two teams enter the match under different circumstances, as both are dealing with significant absences that may force the managers to make changes to the starting lineups they used in their last competitive match.
Liverpool’s predicted lineup
Liverpool are likely to start with a 4-2-3-1 formation, the same system they used in their last match against Brighton (25 October 2026) in the Premier League. With Connor Bradley, Dominik Szoboszlai, Giovanni Leoni, Hugo Ekitike and Jeremy Frimpong all out injured, the manager will be forced to rely on the same core players with some enforced adjustments.
- Goalkeeper: Alisson
- Defence: Ronald Araújo, Jérémy Jacquet, V. van Dijk (captain), M. Kerkez
- Midfield: R. Gravenberch, A. Mac Allister, Florian Wirtz, C. Gakpo
- Attack: Bradley Barcola, A. Isak
The absences of Bradley, Szoboszlai and Frimpong reduce the manager’s options in midfield and at right-back, but the last starting lineup remains the most likely, with the possibility of using a substitute at right-back instead of the injured Bradley.
Chelsea’s predicted lineup
Chelsea are expected to play with a 3-4-2-1 formation as they did in their last match against Tottenham (24 October 2026) in the Premier League. However, they will be without Cole Palmer due to suspension, as well as Emmanuel Martinez, Emmanuel Emega, Jimmy Gittens, Pep Chavarria and Reece James through injury. These absences put significant pressure on the team’s attacking and defensive depth.
- Goalkeeper: Mike Penders
- Defence: J. Acheampong, Maxence Lacroix, L. Colwill
- Midfield: P. Neto, Moisés Caicedo (captain), Jordan Henderson, J. Hato
- Attack: C. Palmer (suspended), Giovanni Quenda, M. Rogers
With Palmer suspended, one of the midfielders or substitutes will take his place in the forward line, but the last starting lineup included Palmer himself, meaning the manager will be forced to make a change in his position.
Key absences
Liverpool
- Connor Bradley — knee injury
- D. Szoboszlai — hamstring injury
- Giovanni Leoni — ACL injury
- Hugo Ekitike — Achilles tendon injury
- J. Frimpong — hamstring injury
Chelsea
- C. Palmer — suspension
- E. Martinez — fractured jaw
- Emmanuel Emega — hamstring injury
- Jimmy Gittens — ankle injury
- Pep Chavarria — contusion injury
- Reece James — knee injury
The absence of Palmer, one of Chelsea’s most prominent attacking players, reduces the effectiveness of the team’s forward line, while Liverpool are without Bradley and Szoboszlai in midfield.
Date and broadcast channels
The match will be played on Wednesday 28 October 2026 at Anfield. It will be broadcast on beIN SPORTS 1 in the Middle East and North Africa, beIN SPORTS 1 in France and Europe, and Arena Sport 1 in Germany and Croatia. Kick-off times:
- Morocco and Algeria: 21:00
- Saudi Arabia and Egypt: 23:00
Liverpool enter the match after a 2-0 win over Brighton in the Premier League, while Chelsea lost 0-2 to Tottenham in the same competition. In their last meeting, Chelsea won 2-1 at home on 4 October 2025 in the Premier League.
InfoSports stats
- Liverpool have won 4 of their last 5 matches in all competitions, but lost 0-3 to Manchester City at home.
- Chelsea are missing 6 players through injury and suspension, most notably Palmer.
- The last meeting between the two teams on 4 October 2025 ended in a 2-1 home win for Chelsea.
The lineups mentioned above are predicted based on each team’s last official starting lineup and may change according to the managers’ decisions before the match. Share your predictions for the lineups each team will field.
