Liverpool have been dealt a double injury setback ahead of tonight's Carabao Cup clash against Derby County.

The Lowdown: Liverpool in Carabao Cup action

Having won the trophy last season, Jurgen Klopp's side will take a step closer to regaining the Carabao Cup if they secure victory over the League One club at Anfield.

This will be the Reds' penultimate game before the World Cup break, which - after this weekend's clash against Southampton - will see Liverpool return to Premier League action in late December.

Looking ahead to tonight's showdown against the Rams, it appears as though the Merseyside club will be without two players who may have been likely to feature in the game.

The Latest: Double injury blow for Liverpool

Speaking to the media on Tuesday ahead of tonight's clash at Anfield, Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders shared news on the (non-)availability of midfield duo James Milner and Naby Keita.

He stated: "Millie will definitely be ready for Southampton but this game [against Derby] comes too early for tomorrow. Naby will be difficult, he's still training individually. Let's see for Southampton."

[web_stories_embed url="https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-35/" title="Latest Liverpool transfer news!" poster="" width="360" height="600" align="none"]

The Verdict: Frustration for Klopp

Bearing in mind how Liverpool also have the likes of Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Arthur Melo and Joel Matip out of action through injuries, not having Keita and Milner available for this game - where rotating players may be on the cards - will surely be a source of frustration for Klopp.

Assuming that the Premier League is the priority for the Reds, the manager may look to keep as many of his important first-team players fit and fresh for Saturday's game against Southampton.

With that in mind, we could see a few faces in tonight's starting XI who may not have had much of a chance to play regularly this season, such as Irish goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.

Either way, Klopp and the Liverpool fans will still want to see their team beating Derby and progressing to the next round of the Carabao Cup, hopefully avoiding any more injury issues in doing so.