After coming off the bench against Tottenham Hotspur, both Sebastian Coates and Craig Bellamy are expected to feature from the start for Liverpool on Wednesday against Brighton and Hove Albion.
Following back-to-back goalless losses in the Premier League, manager Kenny Dalglish may look to shake up his regular starting lineup and Wednesday's Carling Cup match serves as something of an audition for players looking to break into the first team.
Coates joined the Reds from Uruguayan side Nacional and after being tossed into the fire during Sunday's debacle, the young center back will be looking forward to his full debut against the coastal Championship outfit. With the news that first choice center back Daniel Agger will be sidelined for the better part of a month after breaking his ribs against Spurs, Coates will be competing with Martin Skrtel to partner Jaime Carragher in defense for the foreseeable future. Skrtel's dismissal at White Hart Lane rules him ineligible for the match against Brighton, leaving Coates with the perfect opportunity to show what he's made of.
The veteran Bellamy impressed in his opening cameo against Stoke City, but did not have too much of an opportunity to make an impact against Tottenham. A very versatile attacker, it remains to be seen where Bellamy will line up in his first start for the Reds since he left the club in the summer of 2007, but the former Manchester City player's work rate and pace should cause Brighton problems regardless of his positioning.
