Pep Lijnders Liverpool injury update on Salah, Nunez and Szoboszlai ahead of EFL Cup final against Chelsea
Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free
Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter
Chelsea and Liverpool go head-to-head in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday afternoon with both managers bringing special meaning into the match.
Should the Blues triumph at Wembley, it will be a first trophy success under boss Mauricio Pochettino which would go a long way to legitimising his place at the club during a tumultuous domestic campaign that sees Chelsea sit just inside the top half of the Premier League.
Meanwhile for Jurgen Klopp, a Carabao Cup victory would be the start of the end. With the Liverpool manager leaving the club at the end of the season, the team and the fans hope for a successful end to his tenure at Anfield. The Reds are still competing on four fronts this season and a win this afternoon would secure them a second League Cup under the German.
The last time Liverpool won the trophy was in 2021/22. That day they also faced Chelsea and after playing out a stalemate over 120 minutes the Reds triumphed 11-10 in a remarkable penalty shootout. Will they do the same today?
Follow all the action from Wembley plus get the latest Carabao Cup final odds and tips right here:
What is the early team news?
Chelsea centre-back Thiago Silva could be available for the Blues but Mauricio Pochettino also has a lenghty list of absentees, with Brenoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Reece James, Romeo Lavia and Carney Chukwuemeka all out.
Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Dominik Szoboszlai face “last-minute” fitness tests but could be available for Liverpool, but the Reds will be without goalkeeper Alisson Becker, vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota.
Mike Jones25 February 2024 10:18
How to watch the Carabao Cup final
Liverpool vs Chelsea will kick-off at 3pm on Sunday 25 February at Wembley Stadium.
It will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football. Coverage starts from 2pm on Main Event and from 2:30pm on Sky Sports Football.
If you’re not a Sky customer you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
Mike Jones25 February 2024 10:09
Good morning!
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of today’s Carabao Cup final. Chelsea and Liverpool go head-to-head in a repeat of the 2021-22 league cup final as the two sides clash at Wembley this afternoon.
Jurgen Klopp is hoping to end his time as Liverpool boss with more silverware while Mauricio Pochettino is searching for a first trophy as Chelsea manager.
We’ll have all the latest updates throughout the morning so stick around as we build up to kick off at 3pm.
Mike Jones25 February 2024 10:01
