Calvin Ramsay makes his first Liverpool appearance in almost three years as Arne Slot rings the changes for Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup tie with Crystal Palace.
The 22-year-old Scot starts at right-back for the fourth-round clash at Anfield, ending a 1,085-day wait for senior action.
His only previous start for the club came in November 2022, also in the League Cup, when Liverpool beat Derby County on penalties.
Slot has made ten changes from the side beaten 3-2 by Brentford at the weekend.
Only Milos Kerkez keeps his place, with key names including Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Hugo Ekitike all rested ahead of Saturday’s Premier League trip to Aston Villa.
Ramsay’s selection comes after a long spell rebuilding fitness with Liverpool’s Under 21s, where he has captained the side three times this season. He scored in Sunday’s 4-1 victory over Everton before being substituted after an hour, a clear sign that Slot planned to recall him for tonight’s cup tie.
Calvin Ramsay makes his first Liverpool appearance in almost three years as Arne Slot rings the changes for Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup tie with Crystal Palace
Arne Slot has made ten changes from the side beaten 3-2 by Brentford at the weekend
Slot’s inexperienced roster includes 18-year-old striker Keyrol Figueroa – son of former Wigan defender and Premier League cult hero Maynor Figueroa
The right-back’s return follows the hamstring injury to Jeremie Frimpong, leaving Conor Bradley as the only other fit senior option on that flank. Ramsay’s inclusion gives Slot a chance to rotate without overloading the Northern Ireland international.
Since joining Liverpool from Aberdeen for £4.2 million in 2022, Ramsay has endured a run of injuries and four loan spells with Preston, Bolton, Wigan and Kilmarnock.
Slot has repeatedly stressed the importance of using cup competitions to give minutes to younger players and fringe squad members.
Wednesday’s side features five players aged 21 or under, with Trey Nyoni, Rio Ngumoha and Kieran Morrison all handed starts in front of a home crowd.
Indeed, Slot’s inexperienced roster includes a raft of academy stars, including 18-year-old striker Keyrol Figueroa – son of former Wigan defender and Premier League cult hero Maynor Figueroa.
Explaining the thinking behind his starting line-up, Slot said: ‘I think people who know this club and followed this club know that in this competition we use this for our younger players.
‘That is one of the reasons. The other reason is we have only four of five injuries, but I have to play the same players. There are multiple reasons why we have lost so many games. With all the reasons, there is still no excuse to lose so many.
‘If we keep playing the same players like I tried with Alexander Isak, players who have missed out on pre-season. It’s another risk of getting an injury.’
