Andoni Iraola will field a "fairly strong" starting XI for Liverpool's Carabao Cup last-16 tie against Chelsea - while also keeping one eye on Sunday's Premier League game with Arsenal, believes Peter Warburton from the LFC Poets podcast.

Liverpool were knocked out of the Carabao Cup at this stage last season, with Arne Slot's much-changed side falling to a 3-0 defeat against Crystal Palace.

"He will go fairly strong but there will be changes," Warburton told BBC Radio Merseyside. "I think Giorgi Mamardashvili, Joe Gomez and Konstantinos Tsimikas will come in.

"Tsimikas will have to fit in at centre-back though, because of the injury to Jeremie Frimprong, unless Ronald Araujo is moved into the middle to maybe play alongside Jeremy Jacquet.

"I did think Iraola would give Araujo a rest after his exploits against Brighton, but it could well be that he is shifted to centre-back as that would allow Gomez to come in at right-back.

"Further up the pitch, I can see Lewis Koumas making a start as he did against Tottenham in the last round. I also think Rio Ngumoha will start as well.

"Trey Nyoni should be in the midfield, alongside possibly Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister.

"Florian Wirtz might be on the bench for this one, I'm not sure he will start. If there is also any doubt that Dominik Szoboszlai isn't 100%, he will certainly not feature."

When asked if Iraola is under any pressure to get a trophy in his first season at Anfield, Warburton replied: "It is too early in his tenure to start saying he is under pressure. If social media had been around in the 1960s, Bill Shankly would've lasted five minutes.

"Us Liverpool fans are normally quite patient with managers, so I think they will certainly give him time. We are seeing his style come through more as each game goes by."