Eight Chelsea players might be out of the Carabao Cup final, compared to six Liverpool players.

Both Chelsea and Liverpool are dealing with injuries, and the Carabao Cup final at Wembley is coming up.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s expected absence from Liverpool’s Carabao Cup final against Chelsea is a crushing blow.

During the 3-1 victory over Burnley last Saturday, the vice captain of the Reds experienced a recurrence of a knee problem. Alexander-Arnold has been returned to the treatment table after missing three games and nearly three weeks of action in January.

It is a setback for Liverpool, who will be missing their main creator when they meet Chelsea on Sunday, February 25, at Wembley. Both teams played twice at the national stadium in 2021–2022; this season, they will compete for the first trophy up for grabs.

Both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup finals ended in 0-0 draws after extra time, but Jurgen Klopp’s team prevailed on penalties.

Liverpool, who currently lead the league and are still in the FA Cup and Europa League, respectively, may win the first leg of a possible four-trophy haul. Chelsea, on the other hand, will be hoping that winning silverware can serve as the impetus for them to reclaim their place among the elite. The team has faced yet another challenging season.

As it stands, Alexander-Arnold may be missing the championship match along with six other players for Klopp’s team. Dominik Szoboszlai’s hamstring injury from last month has kept him out of action once more. Due to a tendon problem, the £60 million summer signing’s situation has become more problematic, and Klopp said he is unsure if Szboszlai will return for Wembley.

On his first outing in nine months, Thiago Alcantara sustained a muscular ailment. The midfielder was sidelined for the last five minutes of Liverpool’s 3-1 loss to Arsenal due to a hip ailment, but he is now out of commission once more.

Growing pains have plagued Stefan Bajcetic all season long. Following an impressive 2022–2023 campaign, the 19-year-old has only been able to play in two games this season. Ben Doak had a knee surgery in December, while Joel Matip is still recovering from an ACL tear.

Chelsea, on the other hand, may not have eight players available. Romeo Lavia, who chose to stay at Stamford Bridge after being courted by Liverpool during the summer transfer window, has only made one appearance for the Blues. The midfielder has already been ruled out of the championship game by head coach Mauricio Pochettino.

Captain Reece James will lose time due to hamstring surgery he had in December, and Wesley Fofana may not return to the pitch this season as he continues to heal from an ACL injury. Due to a groyne injury, Benoit Badiashile is also expected to be unavailable. Marc Cucurella, Robert Sanchez, and Lesley Ugochukwu are all not expected to play due to injuries to their groynes.

Due to a groyne issue, experienced defender Thiago Silva had to leave Chelsea’s 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace earlier this week, casting doubt on his availability.

More news…….

‘Biggest deal’ of all club stars expected for Trent Alexander-Arnold

The board views Trent Alexander-Arnold as Liverpool’s future, and they are “confident.”

Liverpool is expected to make Trent Alexander-Arnold an offer for a big, long-term contract, sources have told Football Insider.

Football Insider (10 February) reported that the Reds are “confident” they will negotiate terms and are hoping to tie Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, and Alexander-Arnold to long-term contracts.

Football Insider has learned from reliable sources that the full-back will likely receive the “longest-term” and “biggest” offer of the three superstars.

Although his contract is scheduled to end in 2025, it is thought that he is not advocating to leave his boyhood club.

The 25-year-old is seen by the Liverpool administration as the team’s future, and they are eager to have him pledge his long-term future to them.

The team is optimistic that he would agree to a new contract that will raise his rumoured £180,000 weekly wages.

Since making his professional debut in October 2016, Alexander-Arnold has been essential to the Reds’ success.

He has now made 218 appearances in all competitions, contributing 57 assists and 14 goals.

He has two goals and nine assists this season in all competitions, including a pivotal late equaliser against Man City, another championship challenger, in November.

Despite Sunday’s 3-1 loss to Arsenal, Liverpool is still atop the Premier League standings; but, if City wins their last match, they will take the top spot back.

Their next match is this Saturday afternoon (10 February) at Anfield against Burnley, who are currently in 19th place.