Andoni Iraola confirms Giorgi Mamardashvili will face Spurs as Liverpool boss delivers major Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley updates

Iraola has officially confirmed that Mamardashvili will start against Tottenham in the League Cup, marking a significant shift in the Liverpool goal. While Alisson Becker has been the undisputed number one, the Brazilian will be afforded a rest on Tuesday night. Iraola, who has previously tracked the Georgian goalkeeper during his time in La Liga, expressed immense confidence in the 25-year-old's abilities despite his lack of minutes so far this term.

The decision to rotate comes after a grueling schedule that saw Liverpool play two games in just four days. "I think there are little doubts about Ali; he’s proven and he’s playing very well," Iraola explained. "I also rate Giorgi very highly, I know him from his years in Spain. I told him we tried to sign him for Bournemouth before I came here, and for me he’s a very good ‘keeper. He is going to start tomorrow."

In a major boost for the Reds' defensive depth, Joe Gomez is set to return to action after a lengthy spell on the treatment table. The versatile defender has been sidelined since late July after picking up a muscle injury during a pre-season friendly against Sunderland. Iraola confirmed that Gomez has been training with the first-team squad for a week and is now in contention to feature against Roberto De Zerbi's side, though his exact involvement remains to be seen.

"He is training with the team. I think he’s going to be available for tomorrow and now it’s a matter of deciding how much he can play and what is the best thing to do," Iraola revealed.

While the news regarding Gomez is positive, the situation remains more complicated for young full-back Conor Bradley. The Northern Ireland international, who enjoyed a breakout campaign last term, is currently dealing with a significant fitness issue that has kept him out of the senior setup for several weeks. Iraola admitted that Bradley is not yet at the stage where he can rejoin his teammates for tactical sessions, though he has reached a new milestone in his recovery.

"I think he is not close to training with the team. He’s training alone but he has started touching the ball. Definitely I want him as quick as possible ready but it’s a long-term injury. I think [Giovanni] Leoni is a little bit ahead of him and still it’s going to take some time for Conor, yes,” the head coach stated.

Iraola also dropped a heavy hint that the Anfield faithful will be treated to several "unseen" players against Spurs. Having used only 18 different players across the opening five games of the campaign, the Spaniard is keen to test the depth of his roster.

"I think we will see tomorrow players that we haven’t seen still," the Liverpool boss teased. "I’m really looking forward to [seeing them], because I feel they are gonna play well or they can help us, and probably they still haven’t had the chance."