Liverpool's squad depth will be tested in the coming weeks following a superb start to the 2025/26 season.
Arne Slot's side have won all seven games so far, including five in the Premier League, and one each in the UEFA Champions League and the Carabao Cup.
A 2-1 victory over Southampton secured a place in the Fourth Round of the Carabao Cup, thanks to goals from Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, as Slot rotated his starting XI.
Isak netted his first Liverpool goal just before the break, and Slot replaced him with Ekitike at half-time, as the Frenchman went on to score the winner late on.
However, his ill-advised decision to whip off his shirt in celebration triggered a second yellow card and the 23-year-old will miss the league trip to Crystal Palace on September 27.
Isak is now expected to make his first Premier League start for Liverpool at Selhurst Park - slightly ahead of Slot's planned schedule - with Federico Chiesa also an option.
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Chiesa was linked with a summer return to Serie A, after making just one league start in his debut 2024/25 campaign, but the Italy international remained determined to fight for his place at Anfield.
The 27-year-old has continued in a back up role, coming off the bench in four of Liverpool's five league games, but never for longer that 25 minutes.
Slot threw him in for a first start against Southampton, and the Juventus forward offered a reminder of his talents with two eye-catching assists for Isak and Ekitike.
After being controversially left out by Slot for his Champions League squad, Chiesa knows his options are limited, but he still has a point to prove.
"I can play more in this competition [the Carabao Cup] but I want to show the manager I can play more in the Premier League," as per the Liverpool Echo.
"The coach gave me chances in the first four games and I think I showed I can help the team. I’m not in the Champions League squad but I'm focused on the Carabao Cup,"
With Slot still concerned over Isak's ability to complete 90 minutes, Chiesa could again be an option off the bench at Palace, alongside Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah.
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