Liverpool boss Arne Slot’s curious response to Caoimhin Kelleher query as Premier League club linked

Caoimhin Kelleher is likely to make the starting-11 on Wednesday night when Liverpool return to the scene of their recent nine-goal thriller - when they face Tottenham in the first-leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

However, Reds boss Arne Slot was uncharacteristically coy when asked whether the Ireland international would start ahead of Alisson.

Kelleher has been Liverpool’s go-to goalkeeper in this competition. He was their penalty shootout hero in the 2022 final win against Chelsea, when he saved and scored from the spot.

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And two of his 13 first-team appearances so far this season have come in the League Cup - in the 5-1 win against West Ham and the 2-1 win away to Southampton.

Former St Patrick’s Athletic goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros got a run-out in the 3-2 win away to Brighton while Kelleher was busy deputising in the Premier League and Champions League for Alisson during the Brazilian’s injury lay-off, but a start on Wednesday for the Czech netminder would be a massive surprise.

So too would Alisson’s deployment in the League Cup. So, the smart money is on Kelleher continuing his run and getting appearance number 14 under his belt this season.

Yet Slot, who has tended to be very forthright on the goalkeeper issue, decided to give nothing away when quizzed on Tuesday.

He said: “I think I have decided the whole lineup already but in many ways people have tried to get to know what the lineup is, what I know.”

When it was put to him that Kelleher was a regular in the League Cup, Slot replied: “Yeah, I know but I said many times that there are many things going into a lineup. That’s the same for tomorrow again.

“So you will find out tomorrow what arguments there are, and if they ask me before the game or after the game, I’m always more than happy to answer those questions.

“But, first of all, the players should know how we’re going to play, and if all of them are available. That is also something we have to find out.”

Meanwhile, Kelleher has reportedly emerged as a target of Premier League rivals Newcastle United. With Nick Pope injured and Martin Dubravka potentially moving to Saudi Arabia, Eddie Howe is in the market for a goalkeeper.

And according to reports in the English northeast, Kelleher is on top of his January wishlist.

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