Liverpool absolutely dismantled Leeds United as they won their midweek Premier League fixture 6-0 but they will have no time to rejoice as they have to swiftly turn their focus to the Carabao Cup final.
The Reds were in sparkling form against Bielsa’s side and they are very much the favourites to beat Chelsea and pick up their first silverware of the season. There will be an added incentive to win on Sunday since the PL race has also been blown wide open which means Liverpool can very easily end the season with multiple titles.
Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 12 matches across all competition but Chelsea’s manager is a master tactician and he has the firepower to rattle Liverpool’s cage at Wembley. Klopp though has only two injuries to deal with so he can easily name his strongest side.
The Anfield outfit are in a good run of form going into the Carabao Cup final but they have not been successful vs Chelsea in recent times. Liverpool have failed to pick up a win against the Blues in their previous three meetings, their last win coming in the PL in September of 2020.
Liverpool’s early team vs Chelsea:
Last month, Jurgen Klopp had confirmed that he will keep his faith in Caoimhin Kelleher and the backup keeper will start in goal against Chelsea.
Van Dijk and Joel Matip scored against Leeds while Andy Roberston had an assist and while Robertson and Van Dijk are guaranteed starters, the same cannot be said about Matip.
Ibrahima Konate played in defence vs Inter Milan and Klopp might put his faith in the 22-year-old when they head to Wembley.
Thiago and Fabinho will hold onto their place in central midfield but Jordan Henderson is going to come back into the side, replacing Curtis Jones.
The Liverpool boss has only two absentees going into the final but both of these are in the forward areas of the pitch. Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino are both set to miss out.
Jota is out with an ankle injury and he will be touch and go for Sunday while Firmino is expected to be out for a longer time.
Updating about Firmino’s groin injury, the manager said: “Bobby has a muscle problem and is out for a while.”
The absence of these two players will be a major blow for Liverpool and it also means that Klopp will have to shuffle a few things.
⚽ Most goals in Premier League this season:
19 – MOHAMED SALAH
12 – Diogo Jota
11 – Sadio Mane🅰️ Most assists in Premier League this season:
10 – MOHAMED SALAH
10 – Trent Alexander-Arnold
9 – Andy Robertson#LFC pic.twitter.com/kSGydWQnLC— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) February 23, 2022
January signing Luis Diaz is going to occupy the left winger’s position while Sadio Mane will play down the middle, just as he did against Leeds United.
The injuries to Jota and Firmino could be a major deciding factor on Sunday since Klopp will only have Divock Origi to freshen things up if needed and with Thiago Silva marshalling Chelsea’s backline, there’s every chance Chelsea could shut them out.
Some of the latest reports are suggesting that Jota is responding well to treatment and could be part of the matchday squad on Sunday. But unless he’s 100% fit, there’s no way Jurgen Klopp is going to name him in the starting line up.
UPDATE:
As per some updates, Diogo Jota is going to be fully fit and available for selection on Sunday when Liverpool head to Wembley.
With Firmino set to miss out, Jota’s return will be a massive boost for Jurgen Klopp but it remains to be seen if the forward will be named in the starting XI or not. After all, this is a cup final and Klopp will not want to put out any player who is not 100% fit.
Journalist Paul Joyce though has hinted that Jota might not be ready in time so there are obviously contrasting views on this one.
Liverpool predicted line up vs Chelsea:
Predicted Starting Line up(4-3-3): Kelleher; Van Dijk, Konate/Matip, Robertson, Alexander-Arnold; Thiago, Fabinho, Jordan Henderson; Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Diaz.
