Joolz R. Shah: What’s the betting that Emerson Royal comes on as sub RB sometime tonight for Spurs, as opposed to Djed Spence?

Image source, Reuters

Steve Cooper wants Nottingham Forest to use the Carabao Cup as a platform for survival.

Forest are bottom of the Premier League table, three points from safety, and host Crystal Palace on Saturday before the break for the World Cup.

Last season's run to the FA Cup quarter-final - where they were eventually knocked out by Liverpool - aided their promotion bid and Cooper said: "We had to commit to all of those games last season, they were big occasions and live on TV but that was last season - this is very different.

"If we can get to the bell on Saturday and look back on a good week, that'd be great."

Image source, Getty Images

Luton manager Nathan Jones says he is "flattered" as he heads to Southampton for talks over their managerial vacancy.

The Hatters' 2-0 defeat by Stoke City on Tuesday could be his last game in charge in Bedfordshire but he insisted after the match that it was "not a done deal" that he would take over at St Mary's.

"I'm very flattered to be given the opportunity to speak to a Premier League club, and a very good one at that," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "I know my strengths and if a group buys into that, then I can manage at any level.

"But, if it's not right, then of course it might not happen. It is not a done deal."

See what Tony Pulis, Andrew Surman, Saints fans, Chris Sutton, Jack Stacey and Dave Merrington said about the situation on the BBC's Southampton FC page.

Image source, Reuters

Tottenham have not won a major trophy since 2008 so a decent run in the Carabao Cup will be welcomed by fans.

Antonio Conte's side launch their Carabao Cup campaign by the banks of the River Trent.

It's their second visit of the season to the City Ground after a Harry Kane double earned them a 2-0 win in the Premier League back in August.

"We will use the best team to try to win the game against Nottingham Forest," said Spurs assistant Cristian Stellini. "It will not be easy because we played against them at the start of the season, and it was a tough game."

Mikel Arteta makes 10 changes from the Arsenal 11 that began the impressive 1-0 win at Chelsea on Sunday with only defender William Saliba staying in.

Karl Hein, a 20-year-old Estonia international goalkeeper, makes his competitive debut for the Gunners, who have Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus all on the bench if needed.

Arsenal XI: Hein, Tierney, Holding, Saliba, Soares, Elneny, Lokonga, Vieira, Marquinhos, Nelson, Nketiah.

Subs: Turner, White, Zinchenko, Gabriel, Partey, Xhaka, Odegaard, Martinelli, Jesus.

Eight changes for Brighton from the side that started the thrilling 3-2 win at Wolves on Saturday, with Lewis Dunk, Moises Caicedo and Solly March the only ones to remain.

Danny Welbeck, who played in the 2018 EFL Cup final for Arsenal, plays up front against his former side.

Brighton XI: Steele, Lamptey, Dunk, Colwill, Veltman, Caicedo, Gilmour, Enciso, Sarmiento, March, Welbeck.

Subs: Sanchez, Webster, Gross, Mitoma, Ferguson, Estupinan, Turns, Moran, Undav.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport at Anfield

As defending cup holders, it has been quite a while since Liverpool lost in this competition. It was October 2020 against Arsenal, and even that was on penalties.

The last time they were beaten in 90 minutes was a year earlier - and Jurgen Klopp wasn't there as Liverpool lost at Aston Villa with an Under-23 team as the seniors were on Club World Cup duty.

But Klopp is not underestimating Derby tonight.

"The final does not begin at Wembley in February," he said in his programme notes.

"It starts at Anfield tonight. The only way we can arrive at Wembley is by getting things right in the early rounds. We learned this last season."

Image source, Getty Images

Pep Guardiola says Manchester City won't make any signings in the January transfer window, despite current injuries.

Erling Haaland is still "not perfect" despite coming off the bench to score the winner against Fulham on Saturday, according to Guardiola, while Kalvin Phillips and Kyle Walker are still not fully recovered from respective shoulder and groin injuries.

Speaking before today's game, he said: "We are not going to strengthen in January. We have the squad we have, we are pleased and that’s all."

While he confirmed Phillips will be in the squad to face Graham Potter's side, Guardiola said Walker will not feature.

He was asked about the pair's England chances for the World cup and said: "Ask Gareth [Southgate]. They are communicating with the physios for England. Part of that I cannot answer."

Guardiola was also asked about the fitness of Erling Haaland and whether he would be happy for his striker to play two friendlies for Norway next week.

"He’s not perfect still, we will see tomorrow," said Guardiola.

"He is getting better. The bone is not broken, it’s just ligament damage a little bit. It’s not perfect right now but in one week, 10 days everything can change."

Image source, Getty Images

A tense night for Gareth Southgate as he prepares to name his England 26 for the World Cup.

Harry Kane, Jack Grealish, Eric Dier and Nick Pope are all starting for their respective clubs before Southgate names his squad at 14:00 GMT on Thursday.

Adam Pope
BBC Radio Leeds

Image source, BBC Sport

A steady mid-table finish and a go at both cups is arguably all Leeds United supporters expected from this season.

Out of context, the first part of the equation looks to be solving itself without too much bother. After 13 Premier League games, United are 12th - with a game in hand on every club below them.

But "steady" is a widely inaccurate description of a rollercoaster third campaign since their top-flight return.

Frenetic back-to-back victories seem to have hoisted the Whites clear of the relegation zone, and head coach Jesse Marsch from the trap door - until the other side of the World Cup at least. But the unpredictability of the performances is more akin to the knockout nature of tonight's tie at Wolves.

Where the competition fits in the grand scheme of this season may be evident in Marsch's selection, with wholesale changes expected from Saturday's 4-3 win over Bournemouth. A debut for centre-forward Mateo Joseph may well transpire after his recent inclusion in the matchday squad following a dozen goals for the under-21s.

Molineux was the scene of a chaotic comeback the last time the two sides met there. United, who had been desperately poor in the first half, overhauled a two-goal deficit to take the points against 10 men after Raul Jimenez was sent off. Luke Ayling scored the added-time winner after Marsch had lost Patrick Bamford, Mateusz Klich, Diego Llorente and goalkeeper Illan Meslier to injury... oh, and a protestor tried to to tie themselves to a post.

This is how Leeds do it, no matter how much Marsch wishes it otherwise after Saturday's nerve-shredding drama.

"I hope it doesn't continue this way. I want to try to make things simple on us - but that's not the Leeds way, I hear,” the American said.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has changed his entire starting 11 for tonight's meeting with Championship side Derby.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Fabio Carvalho are among those who start at Anfield, alongside teenagers Melkamu Frauendorf, Stefan Bajcetic and Bobby Clark.

Roberto Firmino and Darwin Nunez are available from the bench if required.

Liverpool XI: Kelleher, Ramsay, Phillips, Gomez, Tsimikas, Bajcetic, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Clark, Frauendorf, Carvalho, Stewart.

Derby have made just the one change from their 2-2 draw with Torquay in the FA Cup, as Conor Hourihane replaces Lewis Dobbin.

Derby XI: Wildsmith, Forsyth, Hourihane, Cashin, Bird, Collins, Mendez-Laing, Smith, Roberts, Sibley, Osula.

England squad announced tomorrow and Tammy Abraham has just bagged...

Manchester City hand a start to 17-year-old Rico Lewis against Chelsea tonight. Erling Haaland is on the bench along with Kalvin Phillips.

Man City XI: Ortega, Lewis, Dias, Laporte, Gomez, Rodrigo, Gundogan, Palmer, Mahrez, Grealish, Alvarez

Subs: Ederson, Phillips, Stones, Ake, Haaland, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Akanji, Foden

Versatile academy midfielder Lewis Hall makes his first Chelsea start of the season and only his second ever tonight.

Denis Zakaria, who scored against Dinamo Zagreb on his Chelsea debut last week, is also in the first XI - as is Armando Broja.

Chelsea XI: Mendy; Chalobah, Koulibaly, Cucurella, Loftus-Cheek, Zakaria, Kovacic, Hall, Ziyech, Broja, Pulisic.

Subs: Bettinelli, Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Gallagher, Mount, Havertz, Hutchinson, Sterling, Aubameyang.

It is all change for West Ham with none of the side that began the 2-1 home loss to Crystal Palace on Sunday starting - although it's still a team packed full of Premier League experience.

West Ham XI: Areola, Coufal, Johnson, Aguerd, Ogbonna, Emerson, Lanzini, Coventry, Downes, Antonio, Fornals.

Subs: Randolph, Hegyi, Cresswell, Dawson, Zouma, Soucek, Benrahma, Bowen, Scamacca.

Blackburn, second in the Championship, also change their entire starting 11 from the side that began the 1-0 win over Huddersfield at the weekend.

Top goalscorer Ben Brereton Diaz, with nine goals in all competitions this season, is on the bench.

Blackburn XI: Pears, Rankin-Costello, Carter, Mola, Edun, Buckley, Wharton, Markanday, Dack, Dolan, Vale.

Subs: Kaminski, Hyam, Phillips, Garrett, Batty, Morton, Szmodics, Hirst, Brereton Diaz

With incoming Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui not taking charge until Monday, caretaker boss Steve Davis gives some of the fringe players a chance to impress by making six changes from the weekend loss to Brighton.

Joe Hodge makes his first senior start in midfield, alongside Connor Ronan and Ruben Neves in a mixed Wanderers team.

Wolves XI: Sarkic; Jonny, Kilman, Collins, Ait-Nouri; Neves, Hodge, Ronan; A. Traore, Hwang, Guedes.

Subs: Sa, Toti, Mosquera, Lembikisa, Bueno, Moutinho, B. Traore, Podence, Campbell.

A Carabao Cup special from Leeds manager Jesse Marsch, with 10 changes to his starting XI - only Jack Harrison survives from the weekend win over Bournemouth.

Sam Greenwood and Wilfried Gnonto, who came on to such great effect in that 4-3 comeback win, are on the bench again tonight.

Leeds XI: Robles; Ayling, Hjelde, Llorente, Firpo; Gyabi, Klich; Harrison, Perkins, Gelhardt; Joseph.

Subs: Klaesson, Miller, Debayo, Snowdon, Moore, Allen, McCalmont, Greenwood, Gnonto.

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea boss Graham Potter says fans shouldn't "zoom into the individual" after Raheem Sterling's recent performances for the Blues attracted criticism.

Sterling's displays - and lack of goals and assists - in the Premier League have led to some questioning his place in the England side for the World Cup.

But Potter says his priority is to "improve the team" and individuals like Sterling will then only benefit from that.

"The team isn't functioning as well as we'd like, as I'd like, so that has an impact on the individuals and Raheem is an individual in the team," said Potter.

"The work for us is to try to improve the team, improve the structures and I have no doubt about Raheem's ability. He's a top, top player."

Speaking before this game against Sterling's old club, Potter said his Blues team would "be competitive and try to win" despite the impact making it through could have on an already chaotic fixture schedule.

"We have to go to Manchester City and be competitive, because for sure they will be," he said.

"We have to be as strong as we can, which we will. We'll do our best, we'll prepare the team. With the greatest respect to our opponent, because they're a fantastic team, we have to go to try to win the game."

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has named eight changes for tonight's home tie against fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace, following Saturday's 4-1 league win over Southampton.

There are starts for Javier Manquillo, Jamaal Lascelles, Matt Targett, Jonjo Shelvey, Joelinton, Elliot Anderson, Allan Saint-Maximin and Chris Wood.

England World Cup hopeful Callum Wilson is absent from the squad, while Kieran Trippier is on the bench alongside the in-form Miguel Almiron.

Newcastle XI: Pope, Manquillo, Lascelles, Burn, Targett, Longstaff, Shelvey, Joelinton, Anderson, Wood, Saint-Maximin.

Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira has made six changes from Sunday's 2-1 comeback win over West Ham.

Sam Johnstone replaces Vicente Guiata in goal, while Joel Ward, James Tomkins, Will Hughes, Luka Milivojevic and Jean-Philippe Mateta also start.

Wilfried Zaha and Eberechi Eze are not included in the squad, as teenagers Joe Whitworth, Adler Nascimento, David Ozoh, Kaden Rodney, John-Kymani Gordon and Malcolm Ebiowei all make the bench.

Crystal Palace XI: Johnstone, Clyne, Ward, Tomkins, Guehi, Mitchell, Olise, Hughes, Milivojevic, Ayew, Mateta.

Managerless Southampton make sweeping changes to the side that lost to Newcastle at the weekend with nine players coming in.

Mohammed Salisu and James Ward-Prowse are the only two to retain their places in the side.

There's seven changes for League One Sheffield Wednesday, who were in FA Cup action last Friday.

Striker Lee Gregory and Josh Windass are among those to come in.

Antonio Conte going all in for a trophy?