One Fitness Boost, Two Fresh Doubts: Liverpool’s Injury Picture Before Chelsea
Liverpool head into Wednesday’s Carabao Cup fourth round tie with Chelsea on the back of four straight wins, the latest a comfortable 2-0 win over Brighton. That run has settled nerves around Anfield, but it has not spared Andoni Iraola from the usual pre match guessing game over who will actually be fit to play.
Wirtz Edges Closer To A Return
The headline item from Iraola’s press conference was an encouraging one. Florian Wirtz trained separately from the group and the early word from the camp is positive. Iraola was careful not to make any promises, saying Liverpool “still have to wait” on a final training session before confirming his involvement, but the tone suggested genuine optimism rather than caution for its own sake. If the German international is passed fit, it gives Liverpool a creative outlet in behind the Chelsea midfield that few other players in the squad can replicate.
Szoboszlai And Munoz Running Out Of Time
The same cannot be said for Dominik Szoboszlai or Victor Munoz. Iraola stopped short of ruling either out, but his language gave the game away. He admitted it was “more difficult” for both than it is for Wirtz, which in press conference terms usually means a late call rather than a confident expectation. Losing Szoboszlai removes a reliable engine from midfield, while Munoz’s absence trims Iraola’s options for rotating a squad that has already played a heavy schedule this autumn.
Chelsea Have Issues Of Their Own
It would be wrong to assume Liverpool are alone in dealing with team news headaches. Chelsea arrive at Anfield having lost 2-0 to Tottenham, without the suspended Cole Palmer, and also missing Emiliano Martinez and Reece James. Xabi Alonso makes the return trip to a stadium he knows well, though that storyline will matter far less than whether his side can cope without three key players of their own. Both clubs reached this stage in contrasting fashion, Liverpool beating Tottenham 3-1 and Chelsea squeezing past Leeds United 6-3, and the tie now feels like it will be shaped by absentees as much as by form.
Our Take
Taken together, this reads as a reasonably good news night for Liverpool fans, even if it is not an unqualified one. Getting Wirtz back, even for a cup tie, matters more than one missing midfielder and one rotation option. Iraola has managed enough of these squad puzzles already this season to find a workable solution, and with Chelsea nursing their own absentees, Liverpool should still fancy their chances of making it five wins in a row.