Most important competition this season ... a chance to do what no one has done before ... we already have the most League Cups in history (eight) but that's shared with Liverpool, AND they get listed above us given they have been runners-up four times compared to our single second place finish ... we also hold the record for most cup wins in a row (four) but that too is shared with Liverpool ... so win it this season and we will hold both those records outright ... have already won it four times, no point in sacking it off now when just one more gets into record books of all sorts.
Second to all those proposing or wishing all these EDS players to play here ... wake up ... have you not seen us in the competition in last four seasons? There is a good reason for that ... our squad depth allows us to compete on all fronts is a very generic way of putting it but this is why Pep always puts out a strong team in this. We have plenty of players sitting on the fringes who are lacking game time ... Let me name a few ... Mahrez, Sterling, Zinchenko, Foden, Ferna, KdB ... either through injury or because Pep played the same XI in three PL games in a row ... so if anyone thinks that kids would start ahead of all these big-wigs who either haven't featured due to lack of form or others players playing well in their position (Sterling, Mahrez, Ferna) or missed out due to injury (Foden, KdB, Stones) then you are dreaming.
I fully expect to have all the senior squad being utilized here first, those who haven't played much will get a spot ahead of kids (especially if Pep isn't going to put them in against the triple header next week against Chelsea/PSG/Liverpool and those who needs some minutes in their legs before that tough-triplet coming up would also feature here.
And post that Southampton draw yesterday, he'd already have had a bamboo up everyone's arse in training today. Expect Steffen to start and in case he still isn't available then expect Ederson to play rather than Carson. Delap could start up front (or maybe get 20 odd minutes towards the end if Sterling is a starter there). I think the only ones who gets any rest are Grealish, Dias and possibly Bernardo and look out for whoever else is left out completely alongside them as they'd all be sure starters against Chelsea next weekend.
