Liverpool legend Graeme Souness says his “one concern” heading into the Carabao Cup final this weekend is how his former club will cope with their injury crisis.
Nine players are currently on the treatment table and, while it does level the playing field somewhat, Souness still believes the Reds will beat Chelsea on Sunday:
“It’s not a done deal. Of course, they [Chelsea] have a chance. For me, it’s a 60/40 game. I think Liverpool will win. That’s even without the boys who went off injured.”
“That’s my one concern for Liverpool. They’ve got an abundance of strikers and even guys that change games when they’re not playing well.”
At least two players have been ruled out for the trip to Wembley
Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones (who were both taken off injured during the 4-1 win over Brentford) will not be in contention to play this weekend.
While Jota has suffered knee ligament damage, Jones has sustained a leg injury that will prevent him from playing.
Both Alisson Becker and Domink Szoboszlai are also deemed major doubts, while the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold have already been ruled out.
Will Nunez be available for Liverpool?
As Souness points out, one of Jurgen Klopp’s side’s big strengths is the amount of firepower they have up front. With Jota sidelined, though, the Merseysiders will have to make do with fewer options.
If Darwin Nunez is also absent for the Chelsea clash, it would be a major blow. The Uruguayan international was forced off against Brentford but it is believed that the striker was only substituted as a precaution.
However, if he doesn’t feature against Luton Town on Wednesday evening, fears about his fitness will begin to grow. The Reds’ chances of securing silverware will be significantly reduced if Nunez can’t make the matchday squad for the cup final.
