Liverpool vs Arsenal LIVE: Carabao Cup team news, line-ups and more from semi-final tonight

Follow all the action as Liverpool host Arsenal in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

Due to the initial postponement of this fixture, owing to a number of suspected Covid cases within Liverpool’s squad that were later deemed to be false positives, the other semi-final tie has already been settled, with Chelsea cruising past Tottenham to secure their spot at Wembley next month. Jurgen Klopp will still have to make do without the two stars of his squad, though, with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane both competing in the African Cup of Nations, although the likes of Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota are now available for selection again after recovering from injury.

Mikel Arteta clashed on the touchline in Klopp when the two sides met in the Premier League earlier this season, with the altercation stirring an intense atmosphere at Anfield as Liverpool went on to win 4-0. The Spaniard will be keen to avoid a repeat of that fate as he chases a second piece of silverware as head coach but is juggling several injury problems of his own, particularly in midfield where Thomas Partey, Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard are all unavailable. Follow all the latest updates below:

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Liverpool vs Arsenal: Early team news

Both sides are missing key players for this Carabao Cup semi-final first leg. For Liverpool, Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita are at the Africa Cup of Nations whilst Thiago Alcantara and Divock Origi are sidelined with respective hip and knee injuries.

Arsenal quartet Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe, Mohamed Elneny and Thomas Partey are all playing in AFCON as well so are unavailable for the Gunners. Emile Smith Rowe and Takehiro Tomiyasu are likely to miss the game through injury but Granit Xhaka may bit fit after testing positive for Covid-19.

Liverpool host Arsenal in Carabao Cup semi-final first leg

Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage as Liverpool host Arsenal in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

Due to the initial postponement of the tie, after an outbreak of Covid within the Reds’ squad, both Arsenal and Liverpool already know that it is Chelsea who await one of them in the final. The Blues completed a dominant 3-0 aggregate victory over Tottenham last night in the other semi-final.

Liverpool have benefitted from the delay, with a number of suspected Covid cases latterly found to be false positives, while the likes of Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota have returned from injury.

There has been no such luck for Arsenal, though, who have lost both Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard to injury, and will still feel the scars from their damning 4-0 defeat at Anfield earlier this season.

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