Liverpool youngster Trey Nyoni is set for his first start since November in the League Cup match against Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday, according to the Echo.

Nyoni would be forgiven for wanting to put his last League Cup outing for Liverpool behind him.

The youngster played the full 90 minutes in the previous round against Southampton, marking his second consecutive start in the competition, but he also featured in a painful 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace last October, a match in which Slot's side crumbled to another heavy loss.

Nyoni was part of the substitute contingent that day with limited centre-back options available, though they deployed a five-at-the-back formation and were still overrun.

Understandably, the youngster was not at his best on that occasion. He has not started for the senior team since then.

However, all that could change this week. Liverpool will host Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday as they begin another pursuit of a 10th League Cup title.

Nyoni impressed new manager Arne Slot during pre-season, with the boss confident the 19-year-old can fill the void left by Curtis Jones's departure to Inter Milan.

Slot said last month: "I'm very, very pleased with Trey. He had a very good pre-season, not just in matches but also when he trained with us against top players, he reached the level that's needed.

"I have no doubts about Trey; he will be very valuable this season. I hope he plays many matches and shows the level I see in training every day."

Although Nyoni is still awaiting his Premier League debut, his substitute appearances this season against Nottingham Forest and Ipswich have already almost matched his total Premier League minutes from last season.

In fact, many fans were calling for him to come on as a substitute when Liverpool drew 0-0 with Fulham on Saturday.

Less than a month into the season, the lack of dynamism from Szoboszlai and Gravenberch has been noted, and Slot wants his team to play with greater intensity. Given Nyoni's youth, what he can offer, at minimum, is energy and work rate, though he also possesses considerable talent and surprising physical presence.

Slot has previously stated that he wants to use the opening weeks of the season to determine which midfield pivot combination works best. At this stage, Szoboszlai and Mac Allister appear to be the preferred option, but both Nyoni and Wataru Endo are yet to get their chance.

For Nyoni, particularly in a midfield battle against Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday, that opportunity could well arrive. Spurs' midfield may feature the contrasting styles of Lucas Bergvall and Gallagher.

To date, Nyoni has made 22 senior team appearances, including 4 starts, and has been included in the squad 46 times. He is already an established member of the first-team setup. Now he is ready to take the next step and erase the memory of his last start for Liverpool.

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