League Cup trophy . (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Liverpool confirmed to play Lincoln in League Cup third round

Liverpool will play Lincoln City in the third round of the League Cup, after the League One side beat Bradford on Tuesday night.

The Reds will visit Sincil Bank next week, kicking off their League Cup campaign at the home of Lincoln on September 22/23.

Jurgen Klopp‘s side were drawn as the away side in the third round, with the Imps booking their clash against the champions of England with a victory over Bradford.

Played soon after a Premier League clash at Chelsea, this tie is likely to see Klopp ring the changes, with the likes of Adrian, James Milner, Joel Matip, Xherdan Shaqiri, Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi all expected to start.

It could also see youngsters such as Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott given a focal role, along with players whose futures remain up in the air like Marko Grujic, Harry Wilson and Rhian Brewster.

This would give the Reds a strong chance of progressing to the fourth round, which is also set to played later this month, with the fixtures scheduled for September 29/30.

Liverpool have played Lincoln 23 times before in their history, with the last meeting coming in 1961, when Bill Shankly‘s side earned a 2-0 win in the Second Division.

The two sides also met in a friendly in 2006, arranged as part of Jack Hobbs’ move to Liverpool, with reserve manager Gary Ablett taking charge as Mark Gonzalez and the late Besian Idrizaj scored in a 2-1 win.

After the clash with Chelsea, the Reds will also take on Arsenal in the Premier League before the end of September, meaning if they reach the fourth round of the League Cup, they will play five times in a month that also brought an international break.

This ensures rotation in the cups is essential, and facing Lincoln could be a big opportunity for Klopp’s fringe players to impress.