Andoni Iraola has named his Liverpool starting XI to take on Chelsea in the Carabao Cup fourth round, with decisions made on Rio Ngumoha and Joe Gomez at Anfield

Andoni Iraola has made changes to his starting XI in the Carabao Cup as Liverpool takes on Chelsea in the fourth round, with Rio Ngumoha and Joe Gomez starting at Anfield.

Giorgi Mamardashvili is chosen in goal, with Gomez, Ronald Araujo, Virgil van Dijk and Kostas Tsimikas lining up along the back four. Trey Nyoni joins Ryan Gravenberch and James McConnell in midfield.

Ngumoha plays against his former club, with Cody Gakpo and Lewis Koumas completing the attack. Alexander Isak, Bradley Barcola and Florian Wirtz are among the options to call upon from the bench. The game will go straight to penalties in the case of a tie.

Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso has already returned to Liverpool with Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, but this is his first appearance while in charge of a Premier League rival.

"Xabi is someone who I know well and someone our supporters have a lot of affection for, so I would like to offer him the warmest of welcomes in the knowledge that once the game begins no one involved will be looking to do anyone any favors. None of us would have it any other way," Iraola writes in the official matchday program.

"At the time of writing these notes, it is too early to know which starting line-up we will select. First we will have to see how the players recover after the Brighton game, and we will also have to consider how much freshness we can add into the team to give us the best possible chance of playing in the way we would like to.

"During periods like this when we are playing every few days it is always a case of finding the best match-ups we can while also thinking how we are going to finish the game.

"This is especially true when you are playing Sunday-Wednesday-Sunday and all of the opponents are of a very high level.

"But whatever team we pick will go out there with the same objectives that we have in every match we play. We have to show the same desire to defend our own goal, the same positive aggression in duels and the same commitment to being dangerous in transition as we did on Sunday.

"If we do this, we will give ourselves the best possible chance of making it through to the next round. The victory over Brighton showed once again the importance of doing the basics well. I love that this is something that our supporters respond to.

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"This was something I knew already from my time as an opposition manager but feeling it on this side — especially those moments when the whole crowd reacts to a tackle being won or a player showing big desire — is something that, like winning, I could never get enough of.

"We know it will not be easy, but we are looking to create more of those moments tonight. If we can do this, we will see where it takes us."

After facing Chelsea today, Liverpool has Arsenal at Anfield at the weekend. The Reds also take on Fenerbahce and Crystal Palace before the November international break.

Liverpool starting XI: Mamardashvili; Gomez, Araujo, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Nyoni, Gravenberch; Ngumoha, McConnell, Gakpo; Koumas.