The Reds are sweating on the fitness of Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino ahead of this weekend’s EFL Cup final.
Liverpool forwards Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino remain doubts for Sunday’s EFL Cup final against Chelsea, according to manager Jurgen Klopp.
Jota suffered an ankle injury in the 2-0 win over Inter Milan in last week’s last-16 first-leg clash at San Siro. The Portuguese used crutches and wore a medical boot after coming off at half-time. He also missed the 3-1 comeback victory against Norwich last Saturday in the Premier League.
Now Jota and Firmino – who sustained a muscle problem against Inter and missed the win over Norwich likewise – will remain absent as Liverpool take on Leeds on Wednesday in a rearranged Premier League fixture.
‘It is not a good sign’
Speaking in a pre-match press conference, Klopp admitted the pair’s absences from training make them even greater doubts to face Chelsea at Wembley this weekend.
“No, for tomorrow, no chance, and then [for] the final we will see. I don’t know in the moment,” said the Reds boss on Tuesday. “It would be easy to say now ‘no’, but we will see.
“They are [pushing] but they were not on the pitch for training [yet] so that’s not a good sign. We have to see what we can do with the boys in the next few days, and then we make a decision later in the week.”
Can Liverpool still win the EFL Cup?
No doubt, losing both forwards would be a huge loss for Liverpool.
That said, Klopp’s men are still the slight favorites to win a ninth EFL Cup on Sunday when they take on Chelsea. There is not much between them in terms of odds. Depending on how both sides fare in the Premier League and Champions League this week, on top of any further injury news, this could change.
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