Jordan Ibe’s third goal of the season earned Liverpool a 1-0 first leg advantage in their League Cup semi-final at Stoke on Tuesday.

Ibe was a surprise substitute for the Reds after coming on for Coutinho just 18 minutes into the match at the Britannia Stadium following the Brazilian’s hamstring injury.

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But the 20-year-old winger left an undeniable mark on the tie as he swept home the only goal after Joe Allen had miscued Adam Lallana’s cut-back into his path.

After an indifferent opening 45 minutes, Stoke woke up following the break but Reds goalkeeper Simon Mignolet was rarely threatened.

But while Jurgen Klopp’s side claimed the advantage to take back to Anfield in three weeks time, the German will be left bemoaning more enforced absences as defender Dejan Lovren was also taken off, swelling their injury list to 11.