Liverpool Round-Up, Tuesday 27th October: Iraola Previews Chelsea Carabao Cup Clash as Alexander-Arnold Return Talk Rumbles on
Liverpool prepare to host Chelsea in the Carabao Cup fourth round on Wednesday night at Anfield, and the referee for the clash has now been confirmed by the club (LiverpoolFC.com), with a stat pack also published ahead of kick-off (LiverpoolFC.com). The draw for the fifth round has been outlined too, with Liverpool.com detailing when the quarter-final draw will take place and who the Reds could face if they get past Chelsea (LiverpoolFC.com) (Liverpool.com).
Andoni Iraola held his pre-match press conference and there was plenty to discuss. The Liverpool boss gave an update on Florian Wirtz, who picked up a knock against Brighton, while also saying he was unsure over the fitness of a couple of other players (Liverpool.com) (Liverpool.com). LiverpoolFC.com and This Is Anfield both carried fitness updates covering Wirtz, Victor Munoz and Dominik Szoboszlai, with Iraola discussing possible return dates for the Chelsea game and beyond (LiverpoolFC.com) (This Is Anfield) (Liverpool.com). The Liverpool Echo also covered the injury situation, with Iraola saying the club are waiting on three players before finalising his squad (Liverpool Echo).
Iraola touched on his approach to team selection, explaining there is one thing he simply won't do when picking his side (Liverpool Echo), while also defending his use of squad rotation, insisting "every top team needs to" manage minutes in a busy period (This Is Anfield). The Guardian noted that Iraola feels a growing bond developing at Anfield as his project continues (The Guardian). Elsewhere, Iraola gave his thoughts on facing Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso, a childhood friend, and made clear he wants to "stop talking" and let the football do the talking when the two sides meet (Liverpool.com) (LiverpoolFC.com). He also responded to Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler after what seemed to be some criticism aimed at Liverpool following the weekend's 2-0 win (Liverpool.com), and gave an explanation of the Jayden Danns situation along with his next target for the youngster (This Is Anfield). On the striking front, Iraola said he is "always telling" Alexander Isak the same point as he looks for even more from the Swedish forward (Liverpool.com).
On the opposition, Xabi Alonso confirmed that Chelsea will be without Joao Pedro for the Anfield visit after the forward suffered a thigh injury, with Alonso admitting "we'll miss him" (Liverpool.com). The Liverpool Echo reports Chelsea will also be missing another key forward, though Alonso has a new striker option to call upon, with Jordan Henderson potentially in line to start against his old club (Liverpool Echo) (This Is Anfield).
Ahead of the game, LiverpoolFC.com confirmed the official team news (LiverpoolFC.com), while This Is Anfield previewed likely lineups and TV info (This Is Anfield), and also published a predicted XI suggesting as many as six changes along with a possible midfield headache for Iraola (This Is Anfield). Young midfielder Trey Nyoni spoke to LiverpoolFC.com about the fighting attitude in the squad, his own journey so far, and his excitement for the Carabao Cup test to come (LiverpoolFC.com), while separately telling Liverpool.com about the dressing room feeling under Iraola and the impact loanee Ronald Araujo is having on the group (Liverpool.com).
There's been more transfer chatter surrounding Trent Alexander-Arnold, with Jamie Carragher giving his verdict on a potential return to Liverpool following the full-back's struggles under Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid (Liverpool.com). Carragher reportedly went further, calling it "a big mistake" that Alexander-Arnold isn't back at Anfield and praising Jeremy Jacquet's progress under Iraola (Liverpool Echo), while also saying "I'd have him" when asked about a potential reunion (This Is Anfield). Liverpool.com reported that Real Madrid supporters have noticed something in Alexander-Arnold's behaviour amid his struggles for game time (Liverpool.com), and the site claims an "overwhelming" verdict has been reached on his prospective return as he finds himself only third-choice right-back at the Bernabeu (Liverpool.com). On other transfer fronts, This Is Anfield reports Liverpool have appointed a new chief scout said to specialise in South America and Japan (This Is Anfield), while Steven Gerrard reportedly named a player he feels Liverpool still need to sign, suggesting Iraola "might disagree" (This Is Anfield). There were also reports linking Liverpool with Manu Kone and Alex Scott, with the latter update suggesting the Reds are "not favourites" for the midfielder (This Is Anfield) (This Is Anfield).
On the individual honours front, Ronald Araujo was named the Premier League's Player of the Matchweek (LiverpoolFC.com), and he was joined by Alexander Isak in the Premier League Fan Team of the Week (LiverpoolFC.com). The Liverpool Echo also looked at Isak's recent scoring form, with the striker said to have settled a Premier League debate (Liverpool Echo).
Away from the pitch, former Liverpool winger Luis Diaz was pictured reacting as his Bayern Munich teammate Harry Kane was crowned Ballon d'Or winner (Liverpool.com), with This Is Anfield noting the award also brought an end to a long-standing Michael Owen record (This Is Anfield). Owen himself was reportedly left unimpressed on the night, seething after a red carpet reporter forgot he remains the last Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or, back in 2001 (Liverpool.com). Elsewhere, former Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has been reflecting on his difficult spell in charge during the 2010/11 season, questioning an appointment and making what was described as a "dangerous" admission (Liverpool Echo). The Liverpool Echo also revisited Ryan Giggs' old viral comments about Liverpool "never collapsing" compared with Manchester United, suggesting the former Reds midfielder's words have aged well (Liverpool Echo). Finally, former Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones spoke about his "easy" decision to join Inter Milan in the summer, comparing the challenge there to his old games for Liverpool (Liverpool.com).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.