There is less than a fortnight until Liverpool meet Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final, and they could be short on centre-backs after another injury hit their squad.
With only 12 days until the two teams meet at Wembley, both Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino will be hoping for some positive injury news after both counting their losses in recent weeks.
Pochettino’s side mustered a late comeback win at Crystal Palace on Monday night but they lost Thiago Silva in the process, and he will not have long to prove his fitness for the final.
He hobbled off the pitch just after the hour mark and after the match the Chelsea boss explained Silva “felt something in his groin.”
The 39-year-old was replaced by former Reds target Levi Colwill, who was back in the matchday squad for the first time after missing four matches with a hamstring injury.
Silva’s fitness issue comes after Benoit Badiashile was ruled out of the Carabao Cup final with a groin injury of his own, and it could leave Pochettino short on defensive options on February 25.
Colwill and Axel Disasi will be expected to the be the first-choice pairing at the back, but options beyond the two extend to Trevoh Chalobah, who has not played a game this season, and Alfie Gilchrist, who is typically used at right-back.
Chelsea are already known to be without Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Reece James, Romeo Lavia and Marc Cucurella for the final, and Silva may soon be added to the list.
Pochettino’s side play only one game from now until the final, at Man City on Saturday, and thus it could leave time for the likes of Colwill, Chalobah and Silva to build up their fitness.
It is not ideal preparations from a Chelsea perspective and perhaps for a Liverpool one too if there were any hopes they could take points away from City at the Etihad.
As for Liverpool, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ryan Gravenberch emerged as two fitness concerns after the Burnley win, but there are hopes of an imminent return for Mohamed Salah.
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