"Big talents getting a chance" - Liverpool fans in cloud nine as 2 exciting youngsters start Carabao Cup clash against Derby County

Liverpool will begin their defense of the Carabao Cup when they take on League One side Derby County on Wednesday evening (November 9).

As is often the case in the early rounds of the cup competitions, Jurgen Klopp has named several reserve players and youth team prospects in his starting XI. The German appears to have put immense faith in the academy players. The likes of Layton Stewart and Bobby Clark have been handed rare opportunities.

However, supporters' attentions have been grabbed, especially by young defensive midfielder Stefan Bajcetic. The Spaniard has already made four appearances for the club.

The 18-year-old joined the Liverpool academy in 2020. He made his Premier League debut as a substitute in the recent 9-0 win over Bournemouth.

Another player making his first start for the club is young right-back Calvin Ramsay, who joined in the summer from Aberdeen. He won the Scottish Premiership's Young Player of the Year last season, but his time at Anfield has so far been blighted by injuries.

Ahead of their encounter with Derby, supporters took to Twitter to express their confidence ahead of the tie, with many backing the youngsters to thrive:

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Jurgen Klopp reflects on last season's Carabao Cup success for Liverpool

The Reds won a record-extending ninth League Cup last term thanks to a penalty shootout victory over Chelsea in the final. Ahead of the clash with Derby, Klopp reflected on Liverpool's victory. He described how special it was to lift one of the few trophies that had previously eluded him.

Speaking on Liverpool's official website, Klopp stated:

“Usually I do not like to look back, but on this occasion it makes at least some sense that we do because winning the Carabao Cup was one of the great moments that we have had in my time at Liverpool."

He added:

“Winning any trophy is of course always special but each one is also special in its own right and in the case of the Carabao Cup it was that so many players were involved over the course of the campaign and each of them played a part."

Klopp highlighted how big an occasion a final is but how important it is to win them:

“The problem with any final – and it is definitely not the worst problem in the world – is that they are such unbelievable occasions that everything that happens on that particular day is bigger than everything that has happened before."

He added:

“But without the moments along the way, the performances that make the difference, the victories that take you an extra step, nothing that happened at Wembley would have been possible.”