Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Caoimhín Kelleher will start the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea next month.
The Blues take on Klopp's side at Wembley Stadium in late February, with both sides set to go head-to-head for the first piece of domestic silverware of the campaign.
Chelsea booked their place in the final courtesy of a comfortable win against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, whilst Liverpool progressed past Arsenal courtesy of a Diogo Jota brace at the Emirates Stadium.
Whilst the showpiece is still over a month away, Reds’ boss Klopp has already made a decision on his starting XI, with Irish stopper Kelleher being handed a place between the sticks instead of regular Premier League No. 1 Alisson Becker.
On the decision, Klopp said: “Caoimhín will play, if he is fit.
“As a football manager you have to consider a lot of things and one of the things is we consider Caoimhín an outstanding goalie.
“Not a good goalie, an outstanding goalie, and we want to keep him here. And to keep him you need to make sure of a few things. Before a season you need to think and talk about about the different games he will get.
“It is all about performing of course. If he didn’t perform on the level he performed then I would maybe think differently.
“But he has shown he deserves all the trust and faith that we have in him. I didn’t think about it properly, but my idea in this moment is to play him. I don’t see any reason why we should not do that. Caoimhín deserves that. He brought the team there.”
Kelleher, 23, has played a major role for Liverpool in the Carabao Cup so far this season. He has made three appearances in the competition thus far and was the hero during the Reds’ quarter-final penalty shootout victory against Leicester City.
Thomas Tuchel could also hand his back-up keeper a starting place at Wembley, with Kepa Arrizabalaga having replaced Edouard Mendy in each of Chelsea’s Carabao Cup clashes this season - whilst he also started in the FA Cup final last term.
