Liverpool do not have a recognised right-back for the Wembley final because Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez are still recovering from injuries so Jarell Quansah is likely to fill in. Newcastle have Anthony Gordon suspended while Lewis Hall and Sven Botman remain out injured. Both managers must decide which goalkeeper to put in.

It is not that the EFL Cup does not matter for Liverpool, or even that the outcome of the final cannot change the tone of their season. It is simply that its importance to the Premier League champions in waiting is nothing to Newcastle United,

Indeed, Newcastle have suffered defeat in each of their five major domestic cup finals since winning their last trophy back in 1955, while they have also lost each of their last nine games at Wembley, which is the worst run of any team in the stadium's history.