Liverpool name youngest-ever team for EFL Cup tie against Aston Villa

Liverpool selected their youngest-ever side for the EFL Cup quarter-final against Aston Villa on Tuesday.

The average age of the starting line-up at Villa Park was 19 years and 182 days, with Pedro Chirivella the oldest member of the team at 22.

Liverpool are playing two matches within the space of 24 hours, with manager Jurgen Klopp and the club’s senior players in Qatar for the Club World Cup.

6 – Liverpool have won each of their last six visits to Aston Villa in all competitions, all coming in the Premier League between December 2011 and November this season. Fearless. #CarabaoCup #AVLLIV pic.twitter.com/lxXNw1gDGz

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 17, 2019

Klopp’s side play a semi-final against Mexican side Monterrey on Wednesday, with the team for the fixture against Villa coming under the eye of Liverpool under-23 coach Neil Critchley.

Five players in the starting line-up were handed senior debuts: Tony Gallacher, Isaac Christie-Davies, Luis Longstaff, Morgan Boyes and Thomas Hill.

Liverpool’s 18-man squad for the match boasted just three Premier League appearances collectively, with two for Harvey Elliott and one for Chirivella, who was captain for the night.