Former England international and ex-Liverpool star Steve McMahon has advised Crystal Palace and Watford to put in a strong push in the EFL Cup.
Premier League sides often chop and change their teams when EFL Cup games roll around, seeing an opportunity to blood youngsters and hand minutes to fringe stars.
Roy Hodgson's Crystal Palace have been drawn to take on Championship side West Brom in the third round of the EFL Cup later this month, while Watford travel to Tottenham Hotspur, the team they beat on Sunday.
McMahon does not believe Crystal Palace or Watford are in any danger of suffering relegation from the Premier League this season and says if he was the manager of either side he would be going all out for EFL Cup glory.
The former England midfielder said on LFC TV: "If I'm Crystal Palace or Watford [manager] I'm not going to make eleven changes, because they are not bad sides.
"So I'm going to put my full strength side out, because that's the only thing they can actually win.
"They're going to be safe in the league, no two ways about it, 12th, 13th.
"So why not go and say all the teams are leaving players out for fun, I'm not. I'm going to make the priority winning this cup.
"And I think the teams that do what will have a great chance."
In recent years Bradford City, Cardiff City, Sunderland and Southampton have all reached the final of the EFL Cup.
