NOV 29: CARLING CUP

IT'S Carling Cup quarter-finals week with England's big five all involved.

However, that doesn't make it any easier to predict winners.

Bosses will make massive changes to starting line-ups as Arsenal face Man City and Chelsea take on Liverpool.

I had to make my mind up on Monday about these games for the Daily Record and warned you I might change my opinion when it becomes clearer what line-ups are being put out.

Reds boss Kenny Dalglish and City gaffer Roberto Mancini are raging about being forced to play about 50 hours after their Premier League battle at Anfield on Sunday.

Both have threatened to play their weakest possible sides but Dalglish's comments warning Liverpool fans to expect “wholesale changes” are worrying.

Although the likes of grieving Craig Bellamy and Andy Carroll will be included it really seems as if the rest of the team will be fringe men.

Chelsea have John Terry banned and Raul Meireles cup-tied but could field a strongish side with Andre Villas-Boas under pressure to win a trophy.

City will be minus the likes of Mario Balotelli, Gareth Barry, David Silva, Vincent Kompany and Sergio Aguero while former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves is expected to start.

Defenders Kolo Toure and Stefan Savic could come in with Wayne Bridge and keeper Joe Hart's back-up Costel Pantilimon likely to play in goal while squad men Denis Suarez and Karim Rekik should also feature.

However, City will still have firepower from the likes of Edin Dzeko and England wideman Adam Johnson.

Arsenal will rest Robin van Persie, Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey and bring in Israeli Yossi Benayoun, midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong, England Under-21 star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and South Korea captain Park Ju-young.

At the end of the day these games may be better being left alone with so much emphasis on league results.

Tonight's other tie sees Cardiff entertain Blackburn. Rovers need points more than a cup run and that could play into the Championship outfit's hands in Wales.

However, the match will most definitely be a tribute night for Gary Speed in the city where he led Wales to victory against Norway last month.

Rovers aren't as bad as results suggest and have netted in all of their previous six games bar one against Chelsea so look at both to score at 8-13 at William Hill and Ladbrokes.

Cardiff have tightened up at the back and as a result have climbed to third and I can see them adding Rovers to their previous scalps. Take Cardiff at 6-4 (various).

Recommendations

Cardiff

(6-4, various)

Cardiff both to score

(8-13, William Hill, Ladbrokes)

Dzeko to score

(13-8, Betfred, boylesports)