Liverpool and Chelsea could match up in the crucial Carabao Cup final, but with a reduced defence thanks to Christopher Nkunku’s involvement.
Chelsea is getting ready for the biggest matchup in years as they get ready to play Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.
Regretfully, Mauricio Pochettino’s options aren’t as extensive as they could be.
If the Blues defeat Klopp’s team, they will play in Europe the next season. The winner of the Wembley match will advance to the Europa Conference League play-off round.
Liverpool may score higher goals, but Chelsea’s dismal Premier League performance suggests that it may be difficult for Chelsea to qualify for Europe through the Premier League.
There’s no denying the significance of the Carabao Cup final in dictating the west Londoners’ future path, but victory in the FA Cup would also put them back in continental competition.
Pochettino will have to choose a team to finish the job, but who could he choose? TalkSPORT.com examines…
Chelsea could be without some of their finest players, especially in defence, with the Wembley match less than two weeks away.
Long-term absences for Reece James, Marc Cucurella, and Wesley Fofana have hurt Pochettino’s defence options even further in recent days.
Chelsea’s FA Cup hopes were greatly enhanced by their 3-1 victory over Aston Villa, but Benoit Badiashile’s forced substitution with 10 minutes remaining owing to a hamstring injury did not go well.
Malo Gusto and Thiago Silva hobbled off in the victory at Crystal Palace, which ended in the same result.
As Silva walked out to be replaced by Levi Colwill, it looked as though he was holding his groyne after stopping a shot.
Gusto also hobbled off, and Pochettino implied that his absence was because he was “tired.”
Given the likelihood of the right-back’s recovery, he might line up in front of Djorde Petrovic in a back four with Axel Disasi, Colwill, and Ben Chilwell.
With Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, and Conor Gallagher finding consistency and a goal-scoring touch in recent weeks, Chelsea’s midfield trio is truly beginning to take shape.
That will be especially helpful in bolstering the Blues’ offensive line, which has had difficulty producing results.
Nicolas Jackson, who started against both Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, is expected to play a significant role now that he is back from AFCON.
After dishing out nine assists and scoring fourteen goals, Cole Palmer is unstoppable.
It’s obvious that Chelsea needs a centre forward, but Christopher Nkunku might have the solution.
The French forward’s impressive tally of two goals in eight games—especially considering that one of those goals came against the Reds at the end of January—will hearten supporters as he attempts to regain his fitness following a major knee injury.
Nkunku, though, will be driven to make sure Chelsea’s day concludes with a far better result beneath the Wembley arch after that game ended 4-1.
