Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Guardian Nigeria
Published on 2024-02-23 11:44:11
Liverpool might receive a significant boost before the League Cup final against Chelsea on Sunday if Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, and Dominik Szoboszlai recover from their injury problems in time to play.
The trio missed Liverpool’s 4-1 win over Luton on Wednesday, where Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the table despite missing nine first-team players. Unfortunately, Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip, Thiago Alcantara, Curtis Jones, and Diogo Jota will not be available for the match at Wembley.
Pep Lijnders, Klopp’s assistant, indicated in a pre-match press conference that they are keeping a close eye on the fitness of Dom, Darwin, and Mo ahead of the final. Liverpool secured a convincing 4-1 victory over Chelsea in the Premier League a month ago, but Lijnders is cautious of the improvements that Chelsea have made since then.
Although Chelsea had a difficult start to Mauricio Pochettino’s reign, they are currently sitting in 10th place in the Premier League table. They recently held Manchester City to a 1-1 draw, showing their potential to challenge Liverpool in the final.
Lijnders highlighted the vast talent and significant investment in Chelsea’s squad over the past two years, noting the manager’s ability to find the right balance and get the team performing at a high level.
Liverpool’s pursuit of trophies under the management of Klopp, who is approaching the end of his tenure, includes chasing Manchester United’s record of 20 English top-flight league titles. Additionally, they are still in the running for the FA Cup and Europa League.
Lijnders, who is set to leave Liverpool at the end of the season to embark on his own managerial career, is determined to give the club’s supporters something to cheer about before his departure. He emphasized the team’s goal of providing joy and emotional excitement for the fans with their style of play.
Since Klopp’s announcement of his departure a month ago, the team has won five out of six games. Virgil van Dijk will captain the Reds on Sunday, and he emphasized the importance of staying focused on their current tasks rather than becoming distracted by emotions about the end of the season and Klopp’s departure.
The message from the team is clear – their focus is on the present, aiming to give their all in the League Cup final against Chelsea and provide joy and excitement for Liverpool’s supporters.
