EFL Cup Final Preview: Chelsea Vs Liverpool Injury News, Form & Score Prediction

Ahead of Sunday's showdown at Wembley, read our EFL Cup final preview, including Chelsea vs Liverpool form and injury news on both teams.

Chelsea will be looking to win their third trophy of the season when they face Liverpool at Wembley in the EFL Cup final on Sunday.

The Blues lifted the UEFA Super Cup by beating Villarreal on penalties in August, before becoming FIFA Club World Cup champions in Abu Dhabi earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Liverpool are aiming to win their first piece of silverware since they ended their long wait for Premier League glory in 2020.

No team has won more EFL Cups than Liverpool.

The Reds are currently eight-time winners - as are Manchester City, who have won six of the last eight editions.

A win for Chelsea would see them lift the trophy for a sixth time.

Liverpool have won the League Cup eight times, with their last triumph coming in 2012 :: IMAGO/Colorsport

Chelsea Injury News

Ben Chilwell is the only Chelsea player who has been definitively ruled out through injury.

The left-back is not expected to play again this season after undergoing knee surgery on a partial ACL tear late last year.

Reece James recently returned to training after being out with a hamstring injury since December, while Callum Hudson-Odoi is also back in contention after missing two games with an Achilles issue.

Mateo Kovacic and Hakim Ziyech were subbed off during Chelsea's first-leg victory over Lille in the Champions League earlier in the week, but the duo could be involved at Wembley.

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel told football.london on Friday: "We had training today with everyone out on the pitch except for Ben Chilwell which is brilliant news and this is pretty much it. Both okay, since today.

"They were not only on the pitch with separate programs, everybody joined team training from the first to the last minute. We have no reactions at the moment but positive reactions.

"I hope it stays like this, we have another training tomorrow and everybody available for Sunday."

Chelsea's Reece James could feature in Sunday's final after being out since December :: IMAGO/Adam Davy

Liverpool Injury News

Liverpool have issues in the center forward area.

Brazilian Roberto Firmino has been ruled out with a muscle strain, while Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders said on Friday that it "will be a challenge" for Diogo Jota to be involved.

Jota has missed Liverpool's last two games after limping out of their 2-0 win over Inter Milan with an ankle problem.

Lijnders told the Daily Mail: "For Jota, so far no reaction on the things he has done, the straight line running, change of direction and the ball work he has done.

"That's a good sign. He isn't ruled out but it still will be a challenge."

Chelsea Vs Liverpool Likely XIs

If Jota misses out Liverpool will likely continue with Sadio Mane in the middle of their front three, using January signing Luis Diaz from the left.

Manager Jurgen Klopp is expected to name close to his strongest possible side, with the exception of his goalkeeper.

Klopp called Brazilian Alisson Becker the "best goalkeeper in the world" earlier this week, but said in the same interview, as quoted by the Liverpool Echo, that there was "no chance" of 23-year-old stopper Caoimhin Kelleher not starting at Wembley.

Kelleher is set to make his eighth appearance of the season. He has already featured in three EFL Cup games this term, keeping clean sheets in away wins at Norwich and Arsenal, either side of performing penalty-shootout heroics against Leicester.

Caoimhin Kelleher, who saved two penalties in the quarter-finals, will start in goal for Liverpool :: IMAGO/Mike Egerton

It is less certain who will start in goal for Chelsea. Tuchel refused to reveal which keeper will play at Friday's press conference.

Tuchel's other big decision will come at the opposite end of the pitch.

Romelu Lukaku scored two goals in two games at the Club World Cup, but had been subbed off by the time Kai Havertz grabbed the winner.

Havertz started Tuesday's 2-0 win over Lille as Chelsea's lead frontman and justified his manager's decision with another goal.

Tuchel's rotation policy suggests Lukaku might get the nod at Wembley, with Havertz possibly asked again to play the role of super-sub.

Predicted Liverpool XI (4-3-3): Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago; Salah, Mane, Diaz.

Predicted Chelsea XI (3-4-3): Mendy; Christensen, Silva, Rudiger; Azpilicueta, Kante, Kovacic, Alonso; Ziyech, Lukaku, Pulisic.

Sadio Mane could start as the focal point of Liverpool's attack, like he did in their 6-0 win over Leeds :: IMAGO/Darren Staples

Chelsea Vs Liverpool Form & Head-To-Head

Chelsea have won their last six matches, but two of those came in extra time as they scraped past Plymouth in the FA Cup and Palmeiras in the CWC final.

The Blues are unbeaten since losing 1-0 to Manchester City eight games ago, but have not scored more than two goals in a match during that run.

Liverpool, on the other hand, scored six against Leeds on Wednesday.

The Reds have won nine games in a row, including one in extra time, by an aggregate scoreline of 25-3.

This will be the third meeting between the two sides this season. The previous two both ended as draws.

Chelsea battled to a 1-1 draw at Anfield in August despite playing the entire second half with 10 men.

Tuchel's men showed resilience again in January when they fought back from 2-0 down to earn a point at Stamford Bridge.

The last time these two clubs contested a final was in the 2019 UEFA Super Cup, when Liverpool won on penalties after another 2-2 draw.

Chelsea Vs Liverpool Score Prediction

Liverpool have been the better team this season, as their superiority in the Premier League table suggests.

Chelsea will not make it easy for them, but Liverpool have two of the world's best full-backs who should help them win the wide battle, while Mohamed Salah could be too hot to handle in attack.

Salah has 19 goals and 10 assists in 24 Premier League games this season.

He has also scored seven goals against Chelsea in his career, so don't be surprised if he hurts his former club again on Sunday.

Prediction: Chelsea 1-3 Liverpool