Liverpool will need to assess their priorities after a fixture clash emerged with ramifications for Harvey Elliott and Sepp van den Berg.
The Reds have been drawn against MK Dons in the third round of the League Cup, with the game scheduled for September 25.
And now they have learned that their EFL Trophy tie against Fleetwood Town has been pencilled in for the same night.
As the Echo point out, this leaves the club in a slight quandary.
Both Elliott and Van den Berg, summer arrivals, started against Oldham Athletic last month in the opening Group B match.
The U21s fell to a 3-2 defeat, and so their hopes of progressing – in a competition they intend to take seriously – could well rest on their meeting with Joey Barton’s side.
They will want their strongest team available, but will also want the prospects to earn valuable first-team experience.
Perhaps Jurgen Klopp will split his youth players between the two fixtures, leaving us with a combination of experienced fringe options and academy graduates at Stadium: MK.
Assuming we progress, those who travel to Fleetwood might get an opportunity in the next League Cup round.