Joe Gomez is finally ready to step back under the Anfield lights.
The Liverpool defender, sidelined since a muscle strain in pre-season, has been cleared to return ahead of tonight’s Carabao Cup third-round tie against Tottenham. It will be his first appearance of the campaign, and Andoni Iraola has left the door wide open for him.
“Joe is training with the team and is available for tomorrow. It's a matter of deciding how much he can play,” the Liverpool manager said on Monday, confirming what many inside the club have been waiting to hear.
How much he plays is one dilemma. Who joins him is another.
Iraola has already signposted rotation, hinting that Anfield will see a very different Liverpool side for the cup clash. “We will see tomorrow players we haven't seen,” he teased, a clear indication that the competition will double as a proving ground for squad players and youngsters.
That line will have caught the attention of Wataru Endo. The Japan international has watched this season from the bench so far, an unused substitute waiting for a first competitive minute. The Carabao Cup often belongs to players in his position: experienced, trusted, but short of rhythm. This feels like his window.
The same goes for the club’s emerging talent. Rio Ngumoha, who impressed off the bench in the second half against Fulham, looks well placed to step into the starting XI. His cameo there has pushed him towards the front of the queue.
Trey Nyoni and Lewis Koumas are also in contention. Both have been eased in with substitute appearances, both are highly regarded, and both could be handed their first starts of the season if Iraola leans into youth. A home tie in the cup, with the crowd behind them, is exactly the sort of stage Liverpool have often used to test their next generation.
Yet there is another path. If Iraola decides this is the night to sharpen his new signings rather than flood the pitch with academy faces, Bradley Barcola becomes a strong candidate to start again. The forward is in the middle of a demanding spell and could make his third start in a week, a clear signal of the manager’s trust and a chance to build continuity.
Up front, the options are thinner.
With Hugo Ekitike still out injured, Alexander Isak stands as Liverpool’s only senior recognised striker. He is the focal point, the reference, the one name in that area of the pitch that picks itself. Cody Gakpo can operate through the middle and offers flexibility, but Isak remains the natural spearhead if Iraola wants a more orthodox attacking structure.
So Anfield will see a blend: a returning pillar in Gomez, fringe players desperate for minutes, youngsters pushing for a breakthrough, and a frontline held together by Isak’s presence and Gakpo’s versatility.
For a competition often treated as a testing ground, tonight carries a sharper edge. It is not just about progress in the Carabao Cup. It is about who seizes their chance when the manager finally opens the door.
