Paul Merson, a commentator for Sky Sports, highlights the absence of Curtis Jones in midfield as he supports Chelsea over an injured Liverpool. On February 17, during the Premier League away win 1-4, Curtis sustained a high ankle sprain against Brentford.
Among the numerous significant senior team players sidelined for an extended period of time is the 23-year-old. Liverpool is now leading the Premier League standings, however their current season is in jeopardy due to an injury crisis. The Reds, who will next face Chelsea in the Carabao Cup finals, have also advanced successfully through every cup tournament.
The other long-term absentees are Ben Doak, Joel Matip, Stefan Bajcetic, Diogo Jota, Thiago Alcantara, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Alisson Becker. Additionally, Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, and Dominik Szoboszlai are being watched and are not expected to start Sunday’s match against Chelsea.
Because of the injuries, Merson highlighted in his Sky Sports piece that Chelsea is the frontrunner to defeat Liverpool. He declared:
“Everything relies on who is healthy for Liverpool; if Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah are healthy, things will be different. I believe it is a heads-or-tails football match if they are not fit.
The former Arsenal player continued by saying that Chelsea has a significant advantage in the midfield due to Jones’ absence. He continued, saying:
After Chelsea’s crushing defeat at Anfield three or four weeks ago, you may have thought they had little chance of winning. Chelsea is suddenly performing mediocrely at the appropriate moment. They did well at Man City the previous day and in the second half at Palace. They are, in my opinion, simply playing well at the appropriate moments and have nice balance. Since Curtis Jones is now injured, I believe Chelsea prevails in the midfield match.
The injury crisis at Liverpool means that Chelsea is the clear favourite going into the Carabao Cup finals. But the Reds have backed the players that are available, demonstrating a strong mindset against Brentford and Luton Town.
Liverpool still has Wataru Endo, Ryan Gravenberch, and Alexis Mac Allister to perform well despite the tragic death of Curtis. While Gravenberch has started to produce more regularly, Mac Allister and Endo’s combination has been quite powerful.
In addition, Liverpool has talented young players like Bobby Clark and Harvey Elliott who can clog up midfield spaces. The Reds face a difficult task ahead, but they are determined to give it their all.