Substitutes (Probable):
25. Jose Manuel Reina, 17. Alvaro Arbeloa, 22. Mohamed Sissoko, 19. Ryan Babel, 18. Dirk Kuyt

Rest of the Squad:
4. Sami Hyypia, 6. John Arne Riise, 8. Steven Gerrard, 20. Javier Mascherano, 9. Fernando Torres

This would be a very interesting match, and I feel it would give Rafa Benitez a little bit of a problem, a dilemma should we say. It's this, Liverpool are potentially 7 points off the leaders, if they win their game in hand, but are a couple of stages away from a potential League Cup triumph, and probably one of the easiest cup to win this year. So Rafa can either choose a strong team for this match to try to ensure victory against Chelsea, and try to win the League Cup. However, if the Reds' lose, important players that might have played such as Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres might not have enough left in the tank to go through the hectic Christmas period. Rafa can also go with an experimental line-up, filled with fringe players and rest several of his stars, and risk being dumped out, or if fortune sides the Reds' tomorrow morning, get a win and go through. This will ensure Rafa has much of his first-team players fit for the hectic Christmas period, in which 10 points out of the 12 available is a must, to ensure they keep up with the leaders. So which thinking will Rafa go for? It'll be very interesting to see.

Okay... So if I had the chance to pick the team, this would be it. I would not risk everything and throw the best players in what could be seen as the lowest priority on the Reds' calender. Rests for Gerrard and Torres might be on the cards, but if one had to play, I think Rafa would pick Gerrard for this match. You see... Chelsea wouldn't play their full team too, I expect players like Paulo Ferreira, Carlo Cudicini, Wayne Bridge, Jon Obi Mikel, Steve Sidwell, Claudio Pizzaro and Tal Ben-Haim. It would be interesting if Avram Grant would pick the likes of Frank Lampard, Joe Cole or Ashley Cole, and whether Michael Ballack would get his first start.

H'okay... Back to Liverpool yeah... Charles Itandje is sure to start in goal for the Reds', I think or heard from somewhere he has a clause stating he'd be priority or something for Liverpool's cup games, thus benching spine number one in Jose Reina. Another interesting point is the Reds' central defence. With Sami Hyypia's leg soon going to rot with the number of games he had to play, and that Jamie Carragher has been playing for every game, it would be seen if both of them will play, or Jack Hobbs might get a start, but then again, who will Hobbs replace? For me, I think it'd be Hyypia, as Carragher has better, shall we say, stamina? Carragher could get a rest at Derby, probably, from the start or halfway through the second half, when Liverpool should, I say, should be comfortable. Should Steve Finnan be fit, he should fill in at right-back, whilst Fabio Aurelio continues to get back his match fitness and should start at left-back. Yet another debatable part of the team is Liverpool's central midfield. Will Gerrard start? Is Xabi Alonso fit enough to play from the off? Will Momo Sissoko get a run out? For me, I think Rafa will go for Alonso, should he be fit enough, or at most Alonso will be on the bench, and come on at some stage. Lucas Leiva should start in place of Sissoko and Javier Mascherano should Gerrard not be part of the starting XI. So it'd be nice to see which one or maybe even two places in the bench of Sissoko, Mascherano or Gerrard will be occupied. The right wing slot might go to Ryan Babel or Yossi Benayon, that's up to anyone's guess. Harry Kewell will also, like Aurelio, continue his run of games to regain his fitness, and start on the left wing.

The last debatable part of the team will be the forward slots. Peter Crouch should get a start, no doubt about it. Dirk Kuyt should be benched or not in the 16 at all. It'll be interesting whether Andriy Voronin or Fernando Torres gets a start, but I think Voronin will get the forward role, HE HAS TO PLAY AS A STRIKER, NOT A WINGER OF ANY SORTS! Haha, yeah....

C'mon Reds!

Bye~!