Stoke vs Liverpool team news: Christian Benteke on the bench for the Reds

The team news from the Britannia as Jurgen Klopps tries to plot a route to his first final in English football

Liverpool striker Christian Benteke (2016 Getty Images)

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has named Roberto Firmino up front and left Christian Benteke on the bench for the Capital One Cup semi-final first leg clash with Stoke City.

The Reds are in the middle of an injury crisis in attacking positions with Daniel Sturridge, Divock Origi and Danny Ings all missing the trip to the Britannia.

Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho will sit behind Firmini while Kolo Toure and Dejan Lovren are preferred in the centre of defence for the visitors.

Stoke boss Mark Hughes starts Bojan, in front of Ibrahim Afellay and Xherdan Shaqiri, despite speculation about the former Barcelona striker’s future. The hosts are unchanged from the side that lost 2-1 at West Brom on Saturday. Geoff Cameron, who was sent off in that game, has won his appeal against his dismissal and starts in midfield alongside Glenn Whelan.

TEAM NEWS:

Stoke City: Butland, Johnson, Shawcross, Wollscheid, Pieters, Whelan, Cameron, Arnautovic, Afellay, Shaqiri, Bojan.

Subs: Haugaard, Joselu, Wilson, Van Ginkel, Adam, Walters, Crouch.

Liverpool: Mignolet, Clyne, Toure, Lovren, Moreno, Lucas, Can, Allen, Coutinho, Lallana, Firmino.

Subs: Bogdan, Milner, Benteke, Brannagan, Ibe, Smith, Randall.