Leicester City expected lineup against Walsall, with 10 changes likely.
Eight changes were made for the last round against Tranmere, and even more are possible as City heads to the Poundland Bescot Stadium.
Odsonne Edouard is set to make his first start for Leicester City, with Steve Cooper having the flexibility to make up to 11 changes for the upcoming Carabao Cup tie against Walsall.
Edouard debuted last Saturday, coming on for Jamie Vardy in the final 10 minutes of the 1-1 draw with Everton.
With the quick turnaround for the match against Walsall, it’s unlikely that Vardy will start, positioning Edouard as the favorite to lead the attack, alongside Jordan Ayew as another option.
Cooper will evaluate player fitness following the weekend’s Premier League game.
Currently, only Patson Daka and Jakub Stolarczyk are confirmed absentees, both recovering from summer ankle surgeries.
With the majority of the squad available, Cooper could opt for a complete overhaul of his lineup.
In the last round, Cooper made eight changes, resulting in a 4-0 victory over Tranmere, where goalkeeper Danny Ward and full-backs Ricardo Pereira and Luke Thomas made their season debuts.
All three are likely to feature again at the Poundland Bescot Stadium.
Wout Faes and Caleb Okoli paired up at center-back in the previous match, but given their established roles as Cooper’s first-choice partnership in the Premier League, they may be rested in preparation for the weekend’s trip to Arsenal.
This could pave the way for Conor Coady to make his first start of the season, with Jannik Vestergaard also in contention.
In midfield, Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp started against Tranmere, and Skipp could feature again after sitting out the match against Everton.
Winks might receive his first rest of the season, with Hamza Choudhury and Boubakary Soumare available to provide depth in the center.
On the flanks, Cooper has several options. Kasey McAteer and Stephy Mavididi started in the last round, but Mavididi’s recent inclusion in the Premier League starting XI suggests he may be rested.
This leaves McAteer, Abdul Fatawu, and Bobby De Cordova-Reid competing for the two wide positions.
In attacking midfield, Wilfred Ndidi participated in the last round before dropping deeper against Everton.
With Bilal El Khannouss now acclimatized and Facundo Buonanotte recovering from a groin issue, Cooper has choices to make in this area.
El Khannouss is particularly likely to start, as Cooper aims to integrate the Moroccan into the English game, while Buonanotte is a contender for the Arsenal match.
Given Ayew’s role in the Premier League squad, Edouard is favored to start up front.
He was an unused substitute in Crystal Palace’s second-round win over Norwich, meaning he is not cup-tied for Leicester.
Predicted Leicester City Line-up (4-2-3-1): Ward; Ricardo, Coady, Vestergaard, Thomas; Choudhury, Skipp; Fatawu, El Khannouss, De Cordova-Reid; Edouard. Subs: Hermansen, Iversen, Justin, Kristiansen, Faes, Okoli, Ndidi, Soumare, Winks, Buonanotte, Alves, Golding, McAteer, Mavididi, Ayew, Vardy.
