Carabao Cup: Ten youngsters who could star in Wednesday night's third-round games

The Carabao Cup, in its early stages, gives the Premier League’s top clubs an opportunity to hand valuable first-team experience to their up and coming youngsters.

And that will be the case again on Wednesday evening as Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea all look to progress into the fourth round of the competition.

There are a number of talented young players likely to be given an opportunity, some of whom will hope to soon break into their respective first teams.

Here we take a look at 10 of them.

Ian Maatsen – Chelsea

Given Frank Lampard’s clear intention to promote youth, Chelsea fans could soon see a lot more of Dutch left-back Maatsen.

The 17-year-old, who is set to start against Grimsby at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday in the absence of both Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri, has caught the eye since joining the Blues from PSV Eindhoven in 2018.

“He can make his debut this season under Frank Lampard but he is 17 years old so he has time,” Maatsen’s cousin Dalian said in a recent interview with Goal. “He can still learn from training sessions and youth matches. He is already doing well and he is one of the best in the Under-18s. He can wait for his chance when Chelsea need him.”

Marc Guehi – Chelsea

The Ivory Coast-born defender has had to be patient at Chelsea. Guehi joined the club at the age of seven, gradually working his way up the youth ranks and performing consistently at each level.

The 19-year-old was a key player in Chelsea’s treble-winning Under-18 campaign in 2016/17, and captained England at Under-17 level.

Expect Guehi, despite his youth, to be an assured and composed presence at the back should he feature against Grimsby.

Charlie Brown – Chelsea

It has been a long wait for a senior debut for 20-year-old Brown, who joined Chelsea from Ipswich in 2016. The young striker has been prolific at youth level, hitting 11 goals in the Uefa Youth League last season.

And he has shown glimpses of his ability to step up to the senior game, too, scoring five times in the Football League Trophy over the last year.

Brown will hope to get on the scoresheet if given an opportunity against Grismby.

Mason Greenwood – Manchester United

There are plenty of Manchester United fans arguing in favour of a regular place in the first team for 17-year-old Greenwood, a precocious talent who has impressed in his handful of senior appearances for the club so far.

One of those was in the Europa League last week, and Greenwood certainly took advantage of the opportunity. As United grew more and more frustrated against a stubborn Astana side, the teenager popped up to slot home the winning goal.

open image in gallery

More of the same will be expected of Greenwood against Rochdale on Wednesday evening.

Angel Gomes – Manchester United

Like Greenwood, Gomes caught the eye against Astana last week. A diminutive, mercurial attacking midfielder, the 19-year-old looks ready to step up to the first team and provide Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with an alternative creative option.

And the Carabao Cup could be the perfect competition for the teenager to continue his promising development.

James Garner – Manchester United

United are not blessed with an abundance of options in midfield, so it would not be entirely surprising if Solskjaer turns to 18-year-old Garner at some point this season.

He has already featured for the first team, making a brief cameo as a substitute in a Premier League victory over Crystal Palace in February. And he has impressed with his range of passing and composure on the ball.

Garner has captained England’s Under-17s, too, so a start against Rochdale is unlikely to prove too daunting.

Curtis Jones – Liverpool

Jones has been on the radar of most Liverpool fans for some time now. The 18-year-old signed his first professional contract with the club in February last year, but has since struggled to break into the first team with any regularity.

open image in gallery

But he will be given an opportunity to impress when Liverpool face MK Dons on Wednesday night. The left-sided winger is not short of talent, and he will hope that a positive performance gets him closer to Jurgen Klopp’s Premier League plans.

Rhian Brewster – Liverpool

There will be plenty of interest at Stadium MK in the performance of a certain 19-year-old, who has been made to wait longer than expected for his competitive Liverpool debut.

Brewster has been repeatedly set back by ankle and knee injuries, curtailing the progress of a youngster who looked set for big things after scoring six goals at the 2017 Under-17 World Cup. But he is now fully recovered, and set to start against MK Dons.

“Klopp spoke to me and told me, ‘You’re going to get your chance this year’,” Brewster told the Mirror. “I’m just waiting for that chance now so that I can prove him right.”

Harvey Elliott – Liverpool

This time last year, Elliott was breaking records for Fulham. At 15 years and 174 days old, he became the youngest ever player to feature in the Carabao Cup.

And when he takes to the pitch against MK Dons, the teenager will be the second youngest player in Liverpool’s history.

open image in gallery

“Some players, they play as if they are already say 28 or 29,” said Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders of Elliott. “He’s a player who sees so much around him before things happen.

“He is a talented boy. I don’t want to put him under more pressure, but we’re really happy he is with us.”

Nathan Holland – West Ham

West Ham could hand a start to 21-year-old Holland when they head to Oxford United on Wednesday night.

The midfielder has been a standout performer for the Hammers’ Under-23 side – scoring once and providing two assists against Middlesbrough on Friday night – and is considered the most talented player to have come from West Ham’s academy in recent years.