Liverpool boss Arne Slot has confirmed that Mohamed Salah and four other senior stars will sit out Tuesday’s Carabao Cup third round tie against Southampton. The Reds edged Everton 2-1 in the Merseyside derby at Anfield on Saturday, making it five wins on the bounce in all competitions. But Slot says heavy rotation is coming, with his most-used players to receive a much-needed rest.

Slot made four changes for Everton win

Slot made four changes for the Premier League derby win over Everton from their Champions League win over Atletico Madrid, with Conor Bradley, Milos Kerkez, Hugo Ekitike and Alexis Mac Allister coming into the starting XI. Ryan Gravenberch opened the scoring before setting up Ekitike for Liverpool’s second, while Idrissa Gueye pulled one back for the visitors. Despite the nervy finish, the Reds saw out the game to maintain their perfect start to the season.

Planning heavier rotation against Southampton

Slot highlighted the importance of rotation after a hectic run of fixtures, saying: “It’s the reason why teams like us and the ones in Europe need a squad like this, you play so many games. It’s not an excuse; we accept it.

"The good thing is I have the option to rotate throughout the week, and the ones that played three times 90 minutes are Virgil [van Dijk], Ibou [Ibrahima Konate], Mo [Mohamed Salah], Ryan [Gravenberch] and Dom [Dominik Szoboszlai]... I can tell you now you won’t be seeing them on Tuesday.”

Liverpool's depth under scrutiny vs Championship side

Liverpool’s depth will now be tested as they begin their Carabao Cup campaign. With Salah, Van Dijk, Konate, Gravenberch and Szoboszlai set to be rested, opportunities will arise for fringe players and youngsters. Slot’s willingness to rotate underlines his trust in the Reds' deep squad, as he balances domestic and European commitments in a packed schedule.

Palace test to follow in Premier League

Liverpool face Southampton in the Carabao Cup third round at Anfield on Tuesday night, with several changes expected. Stars like Kerkez and Bradley will be pushing for minutes again in the starting XI, with the likes of Federico Chiesa and Trey Nyoni also likely to start. Slot will then turn his attention back to the Premier League, with Liverpool set to take in a trip to London to face Oliver Glasner's in-form Crystal Palace on September 27. (GOAL)