Goodbye Haaland, the hard news for Guardiola ahead of Liverpool clash

Football returns to England in style, with Manchester City and Liverpool meeting at the Etihad Stadium and looking for a place in the quarter-finals of the League Cup. However, that door is ajar and several stars will be absent from the stand. The two teams that have been competing for all the trophies in England. A new battle between City and Liverpool, who have already met twice this season, both in the Community Shield and in the Premier League, with victory for Jürgen Klopp's side on both occasions.

It's a kind of mirage, as it's the Celestes who are progressing steadily in all competitions. Only Arsenal question their ability in the league. An attractive match in any other situation, but a bit dull when it comes to the League Cup. The last two champions of the competition meet, but with notable absentees after the World Cup. Up to 16 cityzens travelled to Qatar, with a good handful of them still resting.

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Julian Alvarez, who arrived at the Etihad Stadium in the summer as a promising youngster, has become a world champion in the space of just a few months. Seven Liverpool players were at the World Cup, with five of them progressing beyond the group stage. The main absentees, however, will be through injury. Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota are both still recovering from injury, which will keep them out of action for a few more weeks.

Although both teams have continued to work in training camps in the Middle East, escaping the freezing temperatures that have doused the UK in recent weeks. Pep Guardiola said in his pre-match press conference that the break has not been good for them, and that only the World Cup players have maintained a good rhythm of competition. Several of them, such as the Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English and Swiss internationals, will not be in the squad. Erling Haaland, one of the main absentees from the World Cup, will be the main attraction for the sky-blues. Norway did not travel to Qatar, and their top scorer will now have the chance to return to a season in which he has already scored 23 goals in 18 games. Scoring records are once again in his sights.

Haaland says goodbye to inactivity

It's time to see if the break has done Liverpool any good. As Klopp's right-hand man Pep Lijnders explained, the Anfield outfit have been trying to regroup and recalibrate. Their start to the season has been disappointing to say the least and in the league they are 15 points behind Arsenal and 10 points behind City. However, the Reds got back on track in the weeks leading up to the World Cup, progressing from the Champions League group stage and reaching the fourth round of the League Cup. Before them was the chance to redeem themselves again against City and reach the quarter-finals of England's second-tier cup competition. Lijnders, however, warned that tonight's game will also be a chance for youngsters and the less regulars to get a run-out. The Mancunians will field a similar eleven. Expect a decaffeinated tie.