Liverpool vs West Ham LIVE: Carabao Cup team news, line ups and more

Jose Mourinho has washed his hands of Mohamed Salah’s controversial departure from Chelsea and claims that he deserves credit for bringing the Egyptian to Stamford Bridge in the first place.

Salah joined Chelsea from Swiss side FC Basel as a 21-year-old in January 2014 but made just 19 appearances – scoring two goals – in two-and-a-half years with the Blues. During that period he enjoyed hugely successful loan spells with Fiorentina and Roma.

The Carabao Cup semi-final draw will take place on Wednesday 20 December following the conclusion of Liverpool vs West Ham United. It is expected to start around 10pm GMT though could be later due to the nature of the quarter-final.

When will the semi-final fixtures take place?

The first legs will take place on the week commencing 8th January.

The second legs will take place on the week commencing 21st January.

When is the Carabao Cup final?

The league cup final will take place on Sunday 25 February 2024 at Wembley.

Liverpool assistant boss Pep Lijnders faced the media on Tuesday instead of Jurgen Klopp and backed Reds striker Darwin Nunez.

The 24-year-old Uruguay forward, signed from Benfica in 2022 and scorer of 15 goals in all competitions for the Reds in the last campaign, has seven so far this term.

Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Manchester United made it 10 club appearances without netting, his last Liverpool goal coming in the 2-1 Carabao Cup fourth-round win at Bournemouth in early November, but Lijnders says Nunez should not be judged on goals alone.

Lijnders said: “I think Darwin is full of desire, you see this in each game, and if we would only judge players on the goals that would be so unfair, because in our way, always when we reach our targets or really were there to compete, it was always about the collective.

“I feel there is a good connection between Mo (Salah) and Darwin, the way they see each other, assist each other, and I feel above everything that Darwin is playing a much better season than last year, the way how he defends for the team, goes, chases back, his counter press as well. He helps us a lot when we are deep and we can play with him as a reference.

“It’s a long time we play with a false nine, and now its Darwin Nunez. He is learning but I like a lot, and I think this guy is full of fire. That’s what our stadium likes and that’s what we need as well, to lead the line in this way. He can only become better.

“It’s always with goals, if you create a lot, the goals will come naturally. We are creating and sometimes you have to be a little bit lucky. He feels our trust, that’s the thing we can give him.”

David Moyes’s side stunned Premier League leaders Arsenal in the fifth round to leave Liverpool as the highest-ranked side left standing in the final eight.

The Reds, who defeated Bournemouth in the previous round and are looking to win the Carabao Cup for a record-extending 10th time, will look to get back to winning ways after being held to a goalless draw by Manchester United on Sunday.

West Ham have lost their last seven trips to Anfield, including a 3-1 Premier League defeat earlier this season, but the Hammers have shown strong cup form over the past couple of seasons as they look to add to their Europa Conference League victory.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch joined the club’s growing injury list after hobbling off the goalless draw with Manchester United with a hamstring problem. It adds to Alexis Mac Allister’s absence in midfield due to a knee injury, while Diogo Jota and Andy Robertson also remain out.

West Ham are likely to go strong as there could be few changes from the side that beat Wolves 3-0 on Sunday. Michail Antonio is West Ham’s only injury concern.

Liverpool: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Elliott, Endo, Jones; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz

West Ham: Fabianski; Kehrer, Mavropanos, Aguerd, Cresswell; Soucek, Ward-Prowse; Kudus, Fornals, Benrahma; Bowen

When is Liverpool vs West Ham?

The Carabao Cup quarter-final between Liverpool and West Ham will kick off at 8pm GMT on Wednesday 20 December at Anfield.

It will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football, with coverage of the match starting from 7pm. The draw for the semi-finals will also be shown on the same channel following the game.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

Good evening and welcome to The Independent’s live blog covering all the action from Anfield as Liverpool take on West Ham in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

The match will be followed by the semi-final draw.