ARSENAL v LIVERPOOL (Carling Cup, Wednesday, 19.45 GMT)
 
ARSENAL: Not so long ago there would have been no debate. Arsene Wenger's view was that the Carling Cup was best used as a vehicle to blood his latest batch of precociously talented kids who would inevariably embarrass more gnarled old pros and sustain the belief that the future belonged to Arsenal.

Yet while the procession of graduates from the youth ranks has largely been maintained at the Emirates Stadium, the younger players have yet to deliver the consistent success that used to be a feature of Wenger's reign.

And the manager's insistence that he will combine youth with experience against Liverpool serves as a reminder that dust is gathering on the empty shelves in the club's trophy cabinet.
 
As he is no doubt sick of being reminded, the Frenchman has failed to deliver silverware since the FA Cup triumph of 2005 and, rather than being a distraction in the bid for Premier League and Champions League honours, the Carling Cup now marks an opportunity for Wenger's maturing players to discover what it's like to actually win something.

"It will be a mixed team," Arsene admits. "We want to win every game, no matter who plays."
 
Strategy: The pattern and style of play expected from the team is always the same, no matter what names appear on Wenger's team-sheet. But with his first choice line-up veering this season between brilliant and flaky, the opportunity is there for any of the emerging young players to press their claims for more senior action.

Primarily, Wenger will be looking for signs that the shock of throwing away leads in the last two games - at AZ Alkmaar and West Ham - will encourage more concentration from his defence that should include Mikael Silvestre and Kieran Gibbs.

The manager has also been concerned about a lack of ruthlessness in front of goal and will expect Carlos Vela to make the most of any chances that comes his way.
 
Injury update: Samir Nasri is in line to make his first appearance of the season after recovering from a broken leg while keeper Lukasz Fabianski could start after proving his fitness for the reserves following a knee injury. Philippe Senderos should also be in contention but Tomas Rosicky, Theo Walcott and Denilson remain sidelined.
 
LIVERPOOL: Fresh from their vital victory over Manchester United at the weekend, Rafa Benitez and his men travel to the Emirates in good heart and hoping to continue to eradicate the doubts that have dogged their start to the campaign.

Fernando Torres is likely to be rested and Steven Gerrard will be saved for the trip to Fulham at the weekend, where the Reds will once agin be looking to force their way back into the title race.

Expect plenty of changes from Benitez but Liverpool can only do so much tinkering with severe limits to their squad depth.
 
Strategy: Benitez will expect some resilience at the Emirates, a quality that has been lacking in some of their games in the first weeks of the season. Following the FA Cup shock at Burnley back in his first season, Benitez tends to include Jamie Carragher in these kinds of fixtures even if the likes of Philipp Degen are drafted in to a jumbled back-line.

He will employ a solid spine, ask for a big defensive performance and, with a 4-2-3-1 that allows Liverpool to break quickly, hope that one of his second-string strikers, David N'gog or Andriy Voronin, can make the most of the chances that come their way.

There is also the prospect of Alberto Aquilani coming off the bench for a first appearance since his £20m move from Roma in the summer.

Aquilani has been dogged by an ankle problem but Benitez feels he is almost ready for action. "He's improving his fitness so he's in the squad," confirms Rafa. "He cannot start at this moment but will be there and maybe we can give him some minutes. If it's possible we will try to use him."
 
Injury update: Gerrard's groin problem will not be risked but Benitez is still without Sotirios Kyrgiakos and Andrea Dossena.

Fran Houseman write on behalf of Fanhouse UK