When asked how he feels about facing City at this stage of the Carabao Cup, a seemingly relaxed Klopp simply laughs and says: “Great!”

He added: “When you see it – it’s city, away, oh great. But I’m sure City have thought similar stuff about us.

“It’s not too cool but it just shows how the competition goes. There are not that many rounds to go and you can face proper and tough opponents.

“We have that tonight. We are here and we will give it a try.”

Speaking in his pre-match interview with Sky Sports, Klopp says Salah looked “exceptional” throughout the mid-season break.

“He wants to make this a special season for himself and for us,” he says of the Egyptian talisman.

Haaland and Mahrez start for City

Despite both lacking a bit of fitness, Erling Haaland and Riyad Mahrez both start for City this evening.

World Cup stars such as Manuel Akanji, Aymeric Laporte, Nathan Ake, Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan are all present in a strong XI, along with youngsters Rico Lewis and Cole Palmer.

There’s no Ederson, so German deputy Stefan Ortega lines up in goal.

A very strong City bench contains many of their other World Cup players such as Kyle Walker, John Stones, Joao Cancelo, Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden.

Also hoping for some minutes tonight are SergioGomez and their own teenage midfielder in Alex Robertson.

Liverpool hand start to teenage star Bajcetic

So Liverpool do hand a second senior start to 18-year-old Spanish midfielder Stefan Bajcetic, who already has five first-team appearances under his belt this term and was also picked for the penalty shootout win over Derby in round three before the World Cup break.

Elsewhere, James Milner and Joel Matip both start despite social media whispers over potential injuries.

Jordan Henderson is on the bench after England’s World Cup exploits, along with the fit-again Naby Keita and Brazilian Fabinho.

Also among the substitutes is teenager winger Ben Doak, though Kaide Gordon is still on the comeback trail.

As expected, Roberto Firmino joins Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Arthur Melo and Curtis Jones in the treatment room.

Virgil van Dijk, Alisson and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all still off, with Darwin Nunez up front alongside Mo Salah and Fabio Carvalho.

Man City lineup

Man City XI: Ortega, Lewis, Akanji, Laporte, Ake, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Mahrez, Haaland, Palmer

Subs: Carson, Walker, Stones, Cancelo, Grealish, Gomez, Bernardo, Foden, Robertson

Liverpool lineup

Liverpool XI: Kelleher, Milner, Matip, Gomez, Robertson, Bajcetic, Thiago, Elliott, Salah, Nunez, Carvalho

Subs: Adrian, Fabinho, Keita, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Tsimikas, Ramsay, Phillips, Doak

It sounds like Stefan Bajcetic is definitely starting for Liverpool tonight.

Lineups expected imminently…

Whispers on Twitter at the moment that this is the Liverpool lineup tonight, with both Joel Matip and James Milner starting in an XI that also includes teenage Spanish midfielder Stefan Bajcetic.

We’ll see how accurate this is when the official team news drops very shortly…

Kelleher, Milner, Matip, Gomez, Robertson, Bajcetic, Thiago, Elliott, Salah, Nunez, Carvalho

Liverpool must ‘control their emotions’

Lijnders, meanwhile, was keen to stress the need for Liverpool to remain in complete control of their emotions as the Carabao Cup holders target a place in the quarter-finals.

“Top sport is emotion. It’s going to edges. Top sport is seeing the line that you want to go over but you hold yourself,” he said.

“For us it’s impossible to be fully emotional because the game is too quick for that.

“If I’m emotional to one side (of the pitch) the ball is already on the other side or Pep has already changed something tactically and we have to be aware to counter it or whatever.

“The ones who control their emotions are always the ones who go furthest.

“Control your emotions, don’t let the emotions control you.

“We are an example of that in our team.”

Guardiola: I cannot be a ‘statue’ on the touchline

The last clash between City and Liverpool also saw Klopp sent to the stands and later serve a touchline ban for berating an assistant referee, furious that he had not flagged for an apparent foul on Salah by Bernardo Silva.

And while Guardiola also subscribes to the need for greater respect between the two clubs, he insists he cannot be expected to act “like a statue” on the touchline, having been very animated himself after Foden’s effort was disallowed at 0-0.

“People cannot behave like they’re marble, like ice cold, when you’re disallowed a goal in these type of games against the biggest opponents,” he said.

“We will always react in that way but respect for the officials, the rules and the opponent is always there from my point of view, and my teams, absolutely.

“Reactions happen, that’s why the referees are there, to react and do what they believe is correct.”