Liverpool FC go into this Sunday’s League Cup final with major personnel worries. Jürgen Klopp hopes that no further injuries will occur during tomorrow’s dress rehearsal
Liverpool FC have the chance to clinch the first of four possible titles in Jürgen Klopp’s final season in the League Cup final against Chelsea FC on Sunday (4pm). However, the clash at Wembley does not come at the perfect time for the Reds – because a long list of injured players is weighing on their minds and the dress rehearsal is still to come this Wednesday, while Chelsea are free to play.
At his press conference ahead of the Premier League game against Luton Town, which was brought forward from the weekend, Klopp confirmed on Tuesday that Diogo Jota would be out for months rather than weeks. The in-form Portuguese, who has scored nine times in his last nine league games, was stretchered off in the 4-1 win at Brentford on Saturday after Christian Nörgaard fell on his knee. He was already out for around four months last season
Curtis Jones will be out for at least several weeks after suffering an ankle injury in a tackle, with Klopp speaking of a “bone/ligament problem” on Tuesday. Goalkeeper Alisson will also “definitely not” return for the foreseeable future due to a muscle injury. Caoimhin Kelleher will therefore remain in the Liverpool goal for a while yet – including on Sunday at Wembley.
Szoboszlai and Alexander-Arnold are making progress – Darwin in luck
While there is still no end in sight to the long-term injuries to Thiago, Joel Matip, Stefan Bajcetic and Ben Doak, Dominik Szoboszlai (hamstring injury) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (knee injury) are “on the way back” according to Klopp, but are not yet back in team training and therefore not yet options against Luton and Chelsea. The only good news: attacker Darwin, who Klopp had substituted at the break in Brentford as a precaution due to muscular problems, will not have to take a forced break.
Klopp emphasized that he would not be looking for “excuses” in view of the run of bad luck and was combative: “As long as we have eleven players, we will carry on. There are 5,000 ways to win a soccer match, we just have to find one. “
