Mike Hughes
Reporter, BBC Radio Merseyside Sport

Image source, Getty Images

A double-header against a team as talented as Brighton brings with it at any time, a serious set of challenges. When the fixtures fall together in the middle of a ridiculously busy schedule for Liverpool the difficulties become even more amplified.

If Arne Slot deserves praise for what he’s done since becoming Liverpool manager, then Fabian Hurzeler should also be lauded for how smoothly he’s fitted in as manager at Brighton.

At the age of just 31 maybe we shouldn’t be surprised at just how brave and bold he is with his footballing approach. Nevertheless, the Premier League appears to hold few fears for him. Brighton currently occupy sixth place in the table, indicative of a more than decent start to the campaign.

Both managers will shuffle their footballing packs for tonight’s Carabao Cup tie at The Amex, though Arne Slot possibly not as much as he’d like to have done, given his shortage of fit and available forwards.

The fashion for squad rotation in the EFL Cup in its many guises down the years would be laughable if it wasn’t so serious. For those clubs involved in European football it is much more understandable, for those who aren’t it’s much less so.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter

Football League officials have already had to make adjustments to this season's Carabao Cup because of the expansion of European competitions by effectively seeding all the clubs involved in the Champions League and Europa League for the third round so they could not be paired against each other.

And then Manchester City were forced to play two games in three days because of a clash with Manchester United's Europa League game with FC Twente.

They also know the dates for the quarter-finals clash with the "exclusive week" for the Uefa Conference League.

Chelsea play Irish side Shamrock Rovers at Stamford Bridge on 19 December and have Premier League games against Brentford and Everton on 15 and 22 December respectively.

If Chelsea beat Newcastle on Wednesday to reach the last eight, they might end up playing two midweek games that week. The only other option would be to squeeze the game in during a "spare" midweek in January immediately after the Christmas schedule.

But that would depend on who Chelsea were playing against and Premier League fixtures needing to be moved the following weekend.

Shay Given
Former Newcastle goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast

Newcastle need to be really focused on the cup competitions, obviously there's no chance of winning the league this season.

The cup competitions, especially tonight at home under the lights, the place will be absolutely rocking - they have to use the crowd and atmosphere.

This group of players know silverware is the aim, if Eddie Howe and his team can do that, they'll be heroes for a long time.

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Leicester City boss Steve Cooper says they will not "overthink" their game plan with Manchester United's managerial change.

"If you do, you can end up going loads of places that might be miles away from what it ends up being," he said.

"It is a really good chance to show how good your own work is. There is even more reason to focus on ourselves. We have got to make sure we take that opportunity."

Cooper added he would "love a really good cup run".

"It is what we all want. If we can do it, then we can get even more excited. You have to plan to win every single game. We back ourselves," he said.

Spurs' record against Manchester City is something they can take confidence from this evening. Since Pep Guardiola took over the Blues, Tottenham have won seven and drawn three of the 20 meetings.

In fact, Guardiola has only tasted defeat more against Liverpool and Manchester United (eight).

At home, Tottenham's record is particularly good against Manchester City. In the Premier League, four out of their past five meetings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have ended in victory.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery makes 10 changes to the side who drew with Bournemouth at the weekend.

Captain John McGinn is the only player to retain his place.

Leon Bailey and Jhon Duran are among the players who come into the attack.

Centre-back Tyrone Mings makes his first start in 445 days since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) at the start of last season.

Aston Villa XI: Gauci, Nedeljkovic, Carlos, Mings, Maatsen, Philogene, Kamara, McGinn, Bailey, Buendia, Duran.

Subs: Zych, Cash, Patterson, Bogarde, Swinkles, Borland, Ramsey, Young, Jimoh-Aloba.

There are three alterations to the Crystal Palace side who won their first Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend.

Matt Turner makes his debut in goal in place of Dean Henderson, Will Hughes comes into midfield for Jefferson Lerma and Eddie Nketiah replaces Ismaila Sarr in attack.

Crystal Palace XI: Turner, Munoz, Chalobah, Lacroix, Guehi, Mitchell, Hughes, Wharton, Eze, Nketiah, Mateta.

Subs: Henderson, Sarr, Schlupp, Clyne, Kamada, Umeh, Devenny, Kporha, Agbinone.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter at Old Trafford

Turkey goalkeeper Altay Bayindir has been handed a rare start in Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first Manchester United line-up. In total, Van Nistelrooy has made four changes to the side beaten at West Ham on Sunday.

Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee and Victor Lindelof also come in for Christian Eriksen, Rasmus Hojlund and Noussair Mazraoui. The latter pair are on the bench. Eriksen, like first choice keeper Andre Onana, is not involved.

Salford-born 17-year-old midfielder Jayce Fitzgerald is named on the bench for the first time.

Man Utd XI: Bayindir, Dalot, De Ligt, Lindelof, Martinez, Casemiro, Ugarte, Rashford, Fernandes, Garnacho, Zirkzee.

Subs: Heaton, Amass, Evans, Mazraoui, Fletcher, Fitzgerald, Amad, Hojlund, Wheatley.

Leicester make nine changes to the side beaten at home by local rivals Nottingham Forest on Friday. James Justin and Caleb Okoli are the only players to keep their places.

Former England defender Conor Coady captains the visitors, who remarkably have won both the Premier League and FA Cup since their last of two victories in this competition, in 2000 when they beat Tranmere at Wembley.

Leicester XI: Ward, Justin, Coady, Okoli, Thomas, El Khannouss, Skipp, Soumare, McAteer, De Cordova-Reid, Ayew.

Subs: Iversen, Ricardo, Vestergaard, Ndidi, Winks, Mavididi, Edouard, Bounanotte, Alves.

Image source, Getty Images

Brajan Gruda has said it will take "a few games" to get to "top form", having been sidelined by injury in the early weeks of his spell with Brighton.

Gruda, signed from Mainz in August in a deal worth £25m, had to wait until 6 October before making his Premier League debut for the Seagulls.

He has made two appearances as a substitute but is yet to start a match.

The Germany Under-21 international, who said he believes his best position is on the right wing, told BBC Radio Sussex: "I have a lot of friends now in the team, I feel comfortable at the club. When I leave training my family is there so I'm not alone, and the city is beautiful, so everything is perfect.

"It was not so easy [to settle initially] because, especially when you're injured, you have everything in your mind and you're thinking too much.

"Now I'm happy, the injury is going well. Of course, it is going to take some weeks and games to get to 100% and top form but I am in a good way."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

Image source, BBC Sport

Preston North End make six changes to the side that drew 3-3 at Plymouth in the Championship last Saturday.

Preston XI: Woodman, Whatmough, Lindsay, Hughes, Ledson, Greenwood, Thordarson, Okkels, Holmes, Kesler-Hayden, Bowler.

Subs: Cornell, Storey, Best, Potts, Whiteman, McCann, Frokjaer, Riis, Stewart.

Image source, BBC Sport

Arsenal make eight changes from the side that drew 2-2 against Liverpool in the Premier League at the weekend with Mikel Merino, Gabriel Martinelli and Jurrien Timber the players to retain their starting spots.

There is a debut for 18-year-old goalkeeper Tommy Setford, while William Saliba returns from his one-match suspension to start in central defence alongside Jakub Kiwior.

Arsenal XI: Setford, Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Jorginho, Merino, Nwaneri, Sterling, Martinelli, Jesus.

Subs: Raya, Nichols, Lewis-Skelly, Heaven, Partey, Rice, Trossard, Saka, Havertz.

Image source, Getty Images

Brighton and Liverpool meet tonight in the Carabao Cup.

On Saturday at 15:00 they play again in the Premier League, albeit at Anfield.

"I like their playing style a lot with their former manager already and with this one as well," said Reds boss Arne Slot.

"I think what makes the club Brighton special is that maybe [they do not have] the most money in the league when they buy the players – but they always find the right ones."

Simon Stone
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter at Old Trafford

Manchester United are paying tribute to Chas Banks at Old Trafford this evening.

Banks was a local, born a short distance from United's stadium.

He was the well-liked secretary of the Manchester United Disabled Supporters’ Association (MUDSA), having joined the organisation in 1997.

United credit him with helping shape and drive forward the club’s £11m investment in Old Trafford's accessible facilities that created 118 new wheelchair positions and 158 new amenity seats, doubling the capacity of these sections in Old Trafford.

"This is truly devastating news for all of us at the club who knew and worked with Chas," said Collette Roche, United's chief operating officer.

"He was an important figure within our fan community and represented MUDSA with integrity and passion, as well as playing a significant role on our Fans’ Forum for almost a decade."

Club ambassador Denis Irwin laid a wreath in Banks' honour in the Ability Suite this evening.

Eddie Howe makes five changes to the Newcastle side that lost 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Sunday.

Newcastle XI: Pope, Schar, Joelinton, Tonali, Gordon, Isak, Krafth, Hall, Kelly, Willock, Longstaff.

Subs: Dubravka, Barnes, Osula, Livramento, Almiron, Burn, A. Murphy, Bruno, Miley.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca names an entirely different XI from Sunday, showcasing the strength in his squad.

Chelsea XI: Jorgensen, Disasi, Tosin, Badiashile, Cucurella, Enzo, Veiga, Dewsbury-Hall, Felix, Mudryk, Nkunku.

Subs: Bergstrom, Bettinelli, Colwill, Chilwell, Casadei, Chukwuemeka, Madueke, Palmer, Guiu.

Sporting boss Ruben Amorim says he has not yet made a decision about his future after Manchester United expressed an interest in appointing him manager.

United have made an approach and are willing to pay Amorim's 10m euros (£8.3m) release clause.

He took charge of his side's 3-1 Portuguese League Cup quarter-final win against Nacional on Tuesday.

"There is interest from Manchester United, there is the payment of a contract term and when I have something more solid, I will come here and tell my position, because it will be my choice," he said afterwards.

"While I don't have everything decided, for one side or the other, I can't tell much more."

Amorim added that he will be at training on Wednesday to prepare for Friday's league game against Estrela da Amadora.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter at Old Trafford

Ruud van Nistelrooy has done the programme notes for tonight's game.

The interim Manchester United boss admits to mixed feelings as he looks ahead to tonight's game.

He is sad at Erik ten Hag's exit and grateful to his fellow Dutchman for giving him the chance to return to Old Trafford but he also acknowledges taking charge is 'a great honour, for however long I am asked to do so'.

Van Nistelrooy is almost certain still to be in charge for Sunday's Premier League game with Chelsea and is due to speak to the media tomorrow afternoon.

There's eight changes for Brighton, with Evan Ferguson - fresh from scoring at the weekend - in the first XI.

Brighton XI: Steele; Lamptey, van Hecke, Igor, Kadioglu; Wieffer, Moder; Adingra, Enciso, Gruda; Ferguson

Subs: Verbruggen, Veltman, Hinshelwood, Estupinan, Baleba, Ayari, Mitoma, Welbeck

Goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros makes his full debut for Liverpool as boss Arne Slot also makes a total of eight changes.

Liverpool XI: Jaros; Bradley, Gomez, Quansah, Robertson; Morton, Endo, Szoboszlai; Diaz, Gakpo, Jones

Subs: Kelleher, van Dijk, Konate, Nunez, Mac Allister, Salah, Tsimikas, Young, Nyoni

The draw for the last eight will take place after tonight's games. You can follow it in this live text.

Southampton and Brentford are already into the quarter-finals - with hard-fought wins last night.

The Saints beat Stoke 3-2 thanks to a late winner, with the Bees seeing off Sheffield Wednesday on penalties.

BBC Radio 5 Live

You can listen to full commentary of Newcastle v Chelsea and Tottenham v Manchester City from BBC Radio 5 Live in this page.

If you're listening on a radio or what have you, Spurs v City will be on Sports Extra.