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Chelsea vs Liverpool: Five key battles and predicted line-ups as injury-hit sides fight in Carabao Cup final
The Carabao Cup final will pit Liverpool against Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on Sunday - but where will the game be won and lost?
Jurgen Klopp will be desperate to end his time at Liverpool with silverware after announcing that he will leave at the end of the season.
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The Carabao Cup, live on talkSPORT, could be the first of many with Liverpool top of the Premier League and favourites to win the Europa League, as well as chasing the FA Cup.
But Chelsea will be desperate to spoil the party in a cup final that will be missing some key players on both sides.
There has been plenty said about Liverpool's injury problems with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson, Diogo Jota, Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones all missing, while there is also a question mark over Darwin Nunez
However, Mauricio Pochettino will be without a handful of stars too, with Reece James, Thiago Silva and Wesley Fofana all absent to give both managers a selection headache.
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And so it'll be a true tactical battle as Klopp and Pochettino go head-to-head - but who will come out on top and what are the key battles?
Midfield dominance
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When Chelsea travelled to Anfield on January 31, they were trampled by Liverpool in a 4-1 defeat where Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Conor Gallagher were overrun.
Liverpool cut through the Blues with ease and Klopp will be desperate to see that happen again while Pochettino must learn from his mistakes.
Caicedo had a nightmare match at Anfield, where he nearly moved in the summer before Chelsea blew them out of the water and signed the Ecuador international for £115million from Brighton.
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Chelsea's success might largely depend on whether the 22-year-old can hold the fort with Alexis Mac Allister potentially pulling the strings for Liverpool.
Sterling vs Salah
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Wembley is a call to players to step up and prove their ability when the lights are brightest, and Chelsea and Liverpool will be utterly dependent on their star players - with the focus on Raheem Sterling and Mohamed Salah against their former clubs.
Sterling has had tough times against Liverpool in the past - scoring just three times against his old side in 21 appearances since leaving for Manchester City in 2015, and winning just five times.
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But Pochettino will be desperate to see the 29-year-old lead Chelsea to glory and will be standing up against Mohamed Salah, who could return to the starting line-up after returning from AFCON last month.
Salah sat out of the 4-1 victory over Luton on Wednesday but Klopp could be wrapping him up in cotton wool ahead of the final, readying a prime Egyptian King to inflict damage as he has often done in the past - although whether he will be fit remains to be seen.
Coping with injuries
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Both sides have been left largely depleted by untimely injuries but it will give some fringe players the chance to shine, not least both right-backs.
Conor Bradley has been a sensation since stepping up in Alexander-Arnold's place, especially against Chelsea where he grabbed two assists and his first senior goal in the 4-1 win.
Chelsea and Liverpool injuries
Liverpool players who could miss final:
Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota, Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai, Joel Matip, Stefan Bajcetic, Thiago Alcantara, Ben Doak, Darwin Nunez (doubt) Mohamed Salah (doubt)
Chelsea players who could miss final:
Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, Lesley Ugochukwu, Romeo Lavia, Benoit Badiashile, Robert Sanchez, Carney Chukwuemeka, Thiago Silva (doubt)
Similarly, Malo Gusto has provided excellent cover for James this season and looks like one transfer in recent times that has been a real hit.
But with so many players out, finding a winning balance with what forces are left will prove the credentials of both Klopp and Pochettino.
Getting the subs right
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Following a similar vein, those on the bench could prove as vital as those named in the starting XI with so many players in the physio room.
Here is one facet of coaching that has been vastly praised in Klopp's management, getting his substitutions spot on at the right time to swing a match in his favour, as proved on Wednesday night when he put Andy Robertson on after 69 minutes against Luton Town, who set Luis Diaz up two minutes later to make it 3-1.
Pochettino, however, has come under criticism for his substitutions at times during his stint in charge at Stamford Bridge, particularly against City at the Etihad Stadium earlier this month.
With Chelsea 1-0 up, the Argentine made some strange changes including defender Trevoh Chalobah, back from injury for the first time this season, for forward Cole Palmer and Cesare Casadei, called back from loan at Leicester, for Nicolas Jackson.
Three minutes after the latter sub and City had equalised after relentless pressure and no outlet for Chelsea to escape their own box.
Fan support
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One crucial area where Liverpool and Chelsea seem to differ is their performance levels under pressure, especially at home.
Liverpool thrive at Anfield where their vociferous support seem to add extra batteries in the bank for Klopp's men, whereas Chelsea can be accused of wilting when fans turn against them.
The Reds cranked it up against Luton when they went a goal down on Wednesday night, overturning the deficit with their fans roaring them on.
Meanwhile, Chelsea crumbled at Stamford Bridge against Wolves earlier this month where they were booed off the pitch.
With both sets of fans receiving an equal footing in tickets at Wembley, the support will be vital to both sides as they push for glory.
Predicted line-ups
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With so many injuries to both sides, Klopp and Pochettino have their work cut out picking a winning formula, but they have shown they can adapt.
Liverpool are top of the Premier League despite losing some of their best players across the campaign so far and are determined to end Klopp's career at Anfield on a high.
While Chelsea, despite their woes this season, can still win both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in Pochettino's first year - so who will they pick?
Liverpool XI: Kelleher; Bradley, Van Dijk, Konate, Robertson; Mac Allister, Endo, Gravenberch; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz.
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Chelsea XI: Petrovic; Gusto, Disasi, Colwill, Chilwell; Caicedo, Fernandez, Gallagher; Palmer, Jackson, Sterling.
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Carabao Cup final: Betting Odds
To Lift the Trophy
Chelsea -
Liverpool -
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