Shelvey set for LFC milestone

Liverpool have won 128, drawn 43 and lost 42 of the 213 matches they have played in this competition.

The teams have met only once before in this competition, with Liverpool winning 2-0 at Anfield in September 1968. Chris Lawler and Roger Hunt scored the goals, while Ray Clemence made his debut.

Liverpool have won the League Cup more than any other club - eight times - and have an affinity with Wales in the final, having beaten Cardiff last season and winning it in the Welsh capital twice more.

The Reds have scored in 45 of their last 46 League Cup games - only failing to hit the net during that time at Chelsea in December 2007.

In beating West Brom in the third round, Liverpool won six successive away games in the League Cup for the first time in their history.

On the last four occasions that Liverpool have gone into a League Cup campaign as holders they have failed to get beyond this round.

Liverpool have played in six penalty shoot-outs in the League Cup, losing twice - to Wimbledon in 1993 and Northampton at Anfield in 2010.

Only two Liverpool players have scored hat-tricks against Swansea. Roger Hunt did so in the league in 1961 and Ian Rush in the FA Cup in 1990 - both at Anfield.

Steven Gerrard could become, with his next goal, only the ninth Liverpool player to reach double figures in the League Cup - Ian Rush (48), Robbie Fowler (29), Kenny Dalglish (27), Ronnie Whelan (14), Steve McMahon (13), Danny Murphy (11), Steve McManaman and David Fairclough (10 each) being the others.

In 16 clashes with Swansea at Anfield in league and cup the Reds have scored 48 goals and conceded seven.

Joe Cole played the first cup game of his professional career against Swansea in an FA Cup tie in January 1999. His West Ham team drew 1-1.

The Reds have never lost to a Welsh team in the League Cup, having beaten Swansea (1968-69), Wrexham (1977-78) and Cardiff (2007-08 and 2011-12).

The Swans were unbeaten in the two league meetings between the teams last season - drawing 0-0 here and winning 1-0 at home on the final day of the season, with Danny Graham scoring the goal.

The goalless draw last season is the only occasion in 16 meetings that Swansea have prevented Liverpool from scoring at Anfield.

The Welshmen have scored more than once in a game at Anfield twice. They did so in a FA Cup win in 1964 and a 2-2 league draw in 1981.

Midfielder Jonjo Shelvey could play his 50th game for Liverpool against the Swans.

Jamie Carragher captained the Reds in the previous round at West Brom having made 554 more appearances for the club than the rest of the team put together. He had played in 706, the other 10 a combined 152.

The average age of the Reds starting XI that night was 24 years and 10 days, with seven of the 13 that appeared in the game under the age of 22.

Brendan Rodgers was in charge of Swansea from July 2010 until this summer. He had 96 games at the helm in all competitions - winning 43 and losing 33.

The Northern Irishman has managed teams in nine League Cup ties - winning five and losing four.

If the Swans are victorious they will reach the quarter-final of the League Cup for the first time in their history.

Michel Vorm has kept clean sheets in both of his previous visits to Anfield. Both matches - for Utrecht in the Europa League in 2010 and Swansea last season - finished goalless. In fact, he has never conceded a goal to Liverpool in four career appearances.

The Swans have not kept a clean sheet in their last nine games in all competitions and have failed to score in four of their last seven games.

Goalscorers this season (League Cup in brackets):

Liverpool: Suarez 8 (0), Gerrard 3 (0), Sahin 3 (2), Shelvey 3 (0), Downing 2 (0), Borini 1 (0), Coates 1 (0), Johnson 1 (0), Skrtel 1 (0), Sterling 1 (0), Wisdom 1 (0), own goals 3 (0).

Swansea: Michu 7 (1), Graham 3 (2), Dyer 2 (0), Moore 2 (2), Routledge 2 (0), Monk 1 (1), Pablo 1 (0), Rangel 1 (0), Sinclair 1 (0).