Chelsea and Liverpool’s predicted line-ups for the Carabao Cup final

In a replay of the 2022 showpiece, Chelsea will take on Liverpool in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final. 

Liverpool took glory at Wembley in a penalty shootout two years ago after the match ended goalless in normal time. Their FA Cup final a couple of months later went the same way as Caoimhin Kelleher – who will start in goal on Sunday – scored the decisive penalty to win 6-5 after another 0-0 stalemate. 

The Reds will no doubt be spurred on in their bid for the elusive quadruple by the knowledge that this is Jurgen Klopp’s last season in charge. 

Meanwhile, Mauricio Pochettino is “desperate” to win his first trophy in English football, having reached the final with Tottenham Hotspur in 2015. 

Chelsea team news

Both clubs have been ravaged by injuries in recent months with a combined 15 players out of action. Chelsea have been the luckier of the two in recent weeks, and also have the advantage of a longer rest, with no games in the calendar between now and Sunday.  

Reece James, Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella will all miss the final with long-term injuries. Benoit Badiashile is also out until March after suffering a groin injury against Aston Villa and Carney Chukwuemeka has an ankle injury. 

Romeo Lavia has returned to training after a thigh injury, while Robert Sanchez could be back in action – although Pochettino may choose to stick with Djordje Petcovic between the posts. Christopher Nkunku is fit to play after a patchy season due to his own injury problems. 

Thiago Silva is also a doubt after hobbling off with a groin issue during the Blues’ 3-1 win over Crystal Palace on 12 February. 

Predicted Chelsea XI: 4-2-3-1: Petrovic; Gusto; Disasi; Colwill; Chilwell; Caicedo; Fernandez; Palmer; Gallagher; Sterling; Jackson 

Liverpool team news

As it stands, a number of Liverpool’s first-team starters are currently incapacitated, a prospect that Chelsea fans will savour. 

Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota have both been ruled out after being injured during the Reds’ 4-1 rampage against Brentford last Saturday. Jota is a more serious concern given he could be out for “months” with a knee injury. 

Darwin Nunez is another doubt having been substituted at half-time against Brentford. However Mohamed Salah is back in training after a flare-up of the hamstring problem that kept him out for a month. But if he misses Sunday’s final that could mean Liverpool are without any of their usual firepower up front. 

First-choice goalkeeper Alisson is expected to be on the sidelines “for the foreseeable”, according to Klopp, although Kelleher will do the honours regardless on Sunday.   

Joel Matip has likely played his last game for the Reds after tearing his ACL and with his contract expiring in the summer. Thiago Alcantara is also back on the bench where he seems to spend most of his time alongside another long-term absentee in Stefan Bajcetic. 

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been ruled out after aggravating an existing knee injury, meaning Conor Bradley is likely to start at right-back. Bradley was player of the match, scoring once and assisting twice, when Liverpool dismantled Chelsea 4-1 earlier this month. He returned to training last week after being on compassionate leave following his father’s death. 

An update is due on Dominik Szoboszlai’s fitness since he suffered his own hamstring injury. The Hungarian midfielder did not feature against Luton but could be back in time for Liverpool’s first shot at silverware this season. 

Predicted Liverpool XI: 4-3-3: Kelleher; Bradley; Van Dijk; Konate; Robertson; Endo; Mac Allister; Gravenberch; Salah; Gakpo; Diaz 

Head-to-head

The two sides played out two goalless draws last season but since then the advantage has shifted towards the Reds. 

Liverpool demolished Chelsea at Anfield only a few weeks ago in their most recent encounter. Jota, Bradley and Szoboszlai secured the three points before Diaz finished the job off after Nkunku grabbed a consolation goal. It could have been even worse for the Blues had Nunez converted a penalty. 

The reverse fixture, at Stamford Bridge in August, was a 1-1 draw with Axel Disasi cancelling out Luis Diaz’s opener. 

And recent history is on Liverpool’s side too, with the clubs’ previous two meetings in cup competitions both ending in victories in 2022. 

Game in numbers

League position:

• Chelsea – 10th
• Liverpool – 1st

Points:

• Chelsea – 35
• Liverpool – 57

Head-to-head record:

• Chelsea wins – 61
• Liverpool wins – 78
• Drawn 49

Run of form:

• Chelsea – W, L, L, D, W
• Liverpool – W, W, L, W, W

Goals scored:

• Chelsea – 42
• Liverpool – 59

Goals conceded:

• Chelsea – 41
• Liverpool – 24

Managers’ records in cup finals 

Both managers have history in cup finals – and against each other. Klopp has the greater experience of the two, contesting 13 finals, winning six and losing seven. On the other hand, Pochettino has contested five, winning two and losing three – two of which came against Klopp’s Reds. 

Since his German Cup victory in 2012 with Borussia Dortmund, Klopp went through a long stretch of losing six major finals before his next triumph, the 2019 Champions League where Liverpool defeated Pochettino’s Spurs 2-0.  

By contrast, Pochettino lost two major finals while in charge of Spurs, the Carabao Cup against Chelsea in 2015 and the Champions League against Liverpool in 2019. Following his appointment as Paris Saint-Germain manager he won the 2020 Champions’ Trophy and the 2021 French Cup during his 18-month stint at Parc des Princes.

Key battles 

Sterling vs Bradley 

As brilliant as Bradley has been in recent weeks, stepping up to rival Alexander-Arnold at right-back and providing multiple goal contributions, he’ll face a stern test in Raheem Sterling. 

It’ll be a battle between youth and experience with the 29-year-old England international enjoying a resurgence in form this season after a difficult start to life at Chelsea. He gave Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker a tough time in both their meetings this season and his pace could cause Bradley problems. 

Caicedo vs Mac Allister

Two former team-mates will face off in midfield though they could both very well have ended up playing for Liverpool before Chelsea paid £115m for Moises Caicedo.

Caicedo’s defensive abilities may be required to keep Alexis Mac Allister quiet, with the latter dangerous as a roving midfielder who can push up to support the Reds’ front three. 

Jackson vs Nunez 

Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson and opposite number Nunez bring some serious quality as strikers – but are also two of the league’s most erratic players. With both on form this could be an epic battle in both boxes, assuming Nunez makes an appearance after being withdrawn against Brentford as a precaution. The Uruguayan has a point to prove after missing a penalty and hitting the woodwork three times to no avail last time out against the Blues.

Jackson has nine goals in 27 appearances across all competitions this season, while Nunez has 13 in 37, and both are guilty of missing chances they should otherwise be scoring. On a more positive note they’re guaranteed to provide box-office entertainment, especially Nunez’s pace one-on-one against Disasi.