Carling Cup Arsenal vs Liverpool
the third round win over West Bromwich Albion, Arsenal's line-up was composed of players almost exclusively under the age of 21 - Mikael Silvestre and Philippe Senderos were the sole sops to experience - and Wenger has promised to do likewise this week.
"It will be a mixed team but we want to win every single game we play, no matter who plays," he said.
Wenger will also be mindful of the possible benefits of piling more pressure on Benitez by inflicting an early exit on his team.
The Spaniard has ridden the immediate crisis created by four straight defeats by engineering a victory over Manchester United last Sunday but Liverpool's season is still in danger of sliding away, with the club's Champions League hopes hanging by a thread and a six-point gap separating them from league leaders Chelsea.
Being dumped out of the League Cup would not precipitate any drastic action at Anfield but it would deal another blow to morale and Wenger, while he would never admit to it in public, would consider that incentive enough ahead for his makeshift team.
There are more prosaic concerns for his players, as well, not least convincing Wenger that they could be worth a place in his regular starting line-up.
Teenagers such as Francis Coquelin, Sanchez Watt, Jack Wilshere, Mark Randall and Kerrea Gilbert - all of whom can expect to be involved at some point on Wednesday - might still be too raw for Premier League football but that does not apply to all the stand-ins.
Carlos Vela, the Mexican winger, and Croatian striker Eduardo will be determined to re-establish themselves in Wenger's thoughts after frustrating spells out with injuries.
"It will be a mixed team but we want to win every single game we play, no matter who plays," he said.
Wenger will also be mindful of the possible benefits of piling more pressure on Benitez by inflicting an early exit on his team.
The Spaniard has ridden the immediate crisis created by four straight defeats by engineering a victory over Manchester United last Sunday but Liverpool's season is still in danger of sliding away, with the club's Champions League hopes hanging by a thread and a six-point gap separating them from league leaders Chelsea.
Being dumped out of the League Cup would not precipitate any drastic action at Anfield but it would deal another blow to morale and Wenger, while he would never admit to it in public, would consider that incentive enough ahead for his makeshift team.
There are more prosaic concerns for his players, as well, not least convincing Wenger that they could be worth a place in his regular starting line-up.
Teenagers such as Francis Coquelin, Sanchez Watt, Jack Wilshere, Mark Randall and Kerrea Gilbert - all of whom can expect to be involved at some point on Wednesday - might still be too raw for Premier League football but that does not apply to all the stand-ins.
Carlos Vela, the Mexican winger, and Croatian striker Eduardo will be determined to re-establish themselves in Wenger's thoughts after frustrating spells out with injuries.
