"Wait, who's playing right-back?" - Liverpool fans in disbelief as star starts in unfamiliar position in EFL Cup fixture against Leicester

Liverpool fans were in disbelief at the prospect of Curtis Jones starting as a right-back in their EFL Cup third-round clash against Leicester City on September 27.

The Reds have been without Trent Alexander-Arnold since his injury during the September international break. In his absence, Jurgen Klopp has used Joe Gomez at right-back.

Calvin Ramsay was signed as a backup for Alexander-Arnold last year but he was loaned out to Preston North End this summer. Gomez, meanwhile, has been completely left out of the matchday squad to face Leicester.

The Reds' official X account releases the starting XI in a sequential manner based on the players' position on the pitch. Jones has been named just below Alisson Becker in the official graphic, which indicates he is likely to start as a right-back.

The Englishman started his career out on the left wing and has been utilized in central midfield by Klopp. But this is a new position for the versatile 22-year-old player to adapt to.

Here are a list of tweets from the Reds faithful after seeing the line-up against the Foxes:

This isn't the first time Klopp is using a midfielder at right-back this season. Stefan Bajcetic started there in Liverpool's 3-1 UEFA Europa League group-stage win against LASK last week.

Jones, 22, will also wear the captain's armband against Leicester City, as confirmed by the Athletic journalist James Pearce. He has been with his local club for the entirety of his career.

Liverpool aim to continue sensational start to the season against Leicester

When Liverpool entered May 2022, they were fighting on all four fronts for silverware. Ultimately, they won the EFL Cup and the FA Cup while finishing runners-up in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.

Last season was an anomaly for the club under Jurgen Klopp as they missed out on the top four. But according to Shay Given, this can help the Reds to rotate their squad and challenge for the Premier League title.

That is what happened against LASK in Austria when the German manager made several changes to his XI. It ensured most of his first-team stars were in good condition to face West Ham United in the league on September 24.

Liverpool beat the Hammers 3-1 to go within two points of Manchester City in the table after six games. The Cityzens have enjoyed a perfect start to the league season, winning all their games.

The Reds are also unbeaten on all fronts so far and will look to extend their unbeaten run across competitions to 19 against Leicester City.

About the author

Aniket is a senior editor for Tennis, Golf, Motorsport, and Olympics at Sportskeeda, having 4 years of previous experience. He is also a European and International football writer at SK, with over 2,600 articles under his belt. He started following football in 2004 after watching the Champions League semi-final between Liverpool and Juventus, and has been a Reds fan ever since.

You cannot convince him that Virgil van Dijk isn't the best defender to grace the beautiful game. Liverpool’s comeback against Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League quarter-finals in 2016 left a lasting impact on Aniket since it inspired him to get through a tough phase at the time.

An expert researcher with an OCD-like eye for perfection, Aniket follows matches closely to add interesting facts and statistics to his articles. He double-checks all information, uses only established publications as sources, and always maintains an unbiased tone in his articles.

When not writing, he enjoys playing FIFA and Forza on his Xbox. He also listens to hip-hop, classical rock, and electronic music, and enjoys watching Rick and Morty, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Family Guy.

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