MADRID, SPAIN - Tuesday, October 19, 2021: Liverpool's substitute Harvey Blair during the UEFA Youth League Group B Matchday 3 game between Club Atlético de Madrid Under-19's and Liverpool FC Under-19's at the Atlético de Madrid Centro Deportivo Wanda Alcalá de Henares. Club Atlético de Madrid won 2-0. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Confirmed Liverpool lineup vs. Preston: 11 changes with surprise debut

It’s a host of changes for Liverpool as they change their focus to the League Cup, and there is a debut 18-year-old Harvey Blair in the XI. He’s one of two teenagers in the starting lineup tonight.

The Reds are hitting all the right notes of late and head to Deepdale off the back of an impressive and historic victory at Old Trafford to extend the unbeaten run to 22 games.

But it’s an entirely new XI for Jurgen Klopp as Preston play hosts to the League Cup fourth round contest, with those on the fringe getting another opportunity to impress.

But there’s a touch of youth in the mix too as the manager keeps things fresh but competitive against the Championship strugglers.

Adrian starts behind a back four of Neco Williams, Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and Kostas Tsimikas.

In midfield, 18-year-old Tyler Morton is handed his first senior start and takes his place alongside Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Curtis Jones.

Finally, a trio of Harvey Blair, who makes his first senior appearance, Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi, who has 10 goals in this competition, lead the attack.

And it is a very youthful bench for the Reds with five academy members accompanying experienced figures likes Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino.

Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan Henderson, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah have all been given the night off.

Preston: Rudd; Van den Berg, Cunningham, Lindsay, McCann, Rafferty, Hughes, Ledson, Maguire, Barkhuizen, Potts

Substitutes: Iversen, Bauer, Huntington, Storey, Earl, Whiteman, Johnson, Sinclair, Riis

Liverpool: Adrian; Williams, Matip, Gomez, Tsimikas; Morton, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jones; Blair, Minamino, Origi

Substitutes: Hughes, Pitaluga, Konate, Phillips, Beck, Dixon-Bonner, Bradley, Jota, Firmino

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