Football News Update: Key Liverpool Players Face Fitness Tests Ahead of Carabao Cup Final
Ahead of the highly anticipated Carabao Cup final between Liverpool and Chelsea, Reds assistant manager Pep Lijnders has confirmed that several key players are facing “last minute” fitness tests.
Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, and Dominik Szoboszlai all missed Liverpool’s recent 4-1 win over Luton Town due to various injuries, but Lijnders has expressed hope that they could feature in the showpiece final on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.
“Dom [Szoboszlai], Darwin [Nunez] and Mo [Salah] we have to see. We have two more days, today and tomorrow’s session, and at the last minute we will check to see if they can be there. It would be great,” Lijnders said.
However, Lijnders also provided updates on other injured players, ruling out the availability of Curtis Jones, Alisson, Diogo Jota, and Trent Alexander-Arnold for the Carabio Cup final.
The Carabao Cup final promises to be a thrilling encounter, as Liverpool (50) and Chelsea (28) have won a combined 78 major trophies between them. Jurgen Klopp’s side heads into the match as the favorites, as the Reds manager looks to potentially win four trophies this season.
Lijnders is wary of the threat posed by Chelsea, who have struggled for consistency in the Premier League under Mauricio Pochettino. The Liverpool assistant praised the job Pochettino is doing, saying:
“They are growing and the manager is doing an unbelievable job. He has found his starting XI and Cole Palmer has been one of the signings of the season, taking them from a rival and performing like that.”
Fans can tune in to the Carabao Cup final on Sky Sports or stream the game with a NOW membership. Highlights will also be available on Sky Sports’ digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the match.
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