London, Sep 25 (IANS) Premier League champion Liverpool will meet FA Cup holder Crystal Palace in the standout tie of the fourth round of the Carabao Cup football tournament.

Defending champion Newcastle United has been drawn at home to Tottenham in another all-Premier League clash, while Arsenal, chasing its first triumph in the competition since 1993, will host Brighton & Hove Albion.

After stunning Manchester United in the previous round, fourth-tier Grimsby Town will enjoy another home tie against Premier League side Brentford.

For the first time, three Welsh clubs have reached the last-16 stage – setting up an all-Welsh derby as Wrexham faces Cardiff City in their first meeting since 2002, while Swansea City, the winner in 2013, has been paired with Manchester City.

Other ties see struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers take on Chelsea, and third-tier Wycombe Wanderers’ reward for beating Wigan Athletic is a home tie against Premier League outfit Fulham, reports Xinhua.

Meanwhile, Liverpool will go into the match with injury concerns as defender Giovanni Leoni is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after picking up a suspected anterior cruciate ligament injury during his debut.

The 18-year-old started Tuesday’s 2-1 Carabao Cup third-round victory over Southampton and lasted 81 minutes before being forced off.

Leoni, who arrived from Parma in August for 26 million pounds plus add-ons, has since undergone medical tests on his left knee. Early indications suggest the centre-back may have sustained ACL damage, an injury likely to rule him out for most, if not all, of the season.

“I want to sincerely thank every single person who has shown me support in this difficult moment,” Leoni posted on Instagram. “It wasn’t the debut I had always dreamed of, but I will give everything to be back playing in this magical stadium as soon as possible. Thank you so much!”

Manager Arne Slot admitted the player immediately knew the injury was serious. “He is down because, for him, it didn’t feel good immediately. Normally, the emotions of a player tell you a lot,” Slot said after the match.

Leoni’s absence leaves Liverpool with just three senior central defenders: Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, and Joe Gomez. UEFA rules allow the Reds to replace Leoni in their Champions League squad, with forward Federico Chiesa among the options being considered.

–IANS

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