They would be even stronger position if Arsenal had not turned their form around since their defeats in both domestic cups last month, beginning in the first leg of this EFL Cup semifinal before they were then knocked out of the FA Cup on penalties by Manchester United.

The 2024/25 edition of the EFL Carabao Cup, which features the best talents from across English football divisions, resumes on Wednesday with the second leg of the semifinals. Newcastle United host Arsenal on Wednesday with the Magpies leading 2-0 on aggregate having won the first leg at the Emirates Stadium in January.

Conor Bradley is almost certain to replace the England international and there are no other injury concerns for the Reds at this stage. Curtis Jones, Joe Gomez, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota have all recently made returns from injuries, offering Slot a major boost.