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      Combined Chelsea and Liverpool INJURED XI as both sides sweat on fitness of stars ahead of Carabao Cup final

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      THE Carabao Cup final is set to have an astonishing number of star players missing.Chelsea face Liverpool at Wembley Stadium on February 25; however, neither team will be at their strongest.
      Trent Alexander-Arnold will miss the Carabao Cup finalCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Reece James will be out for ChelseaCredit: Getty
      Thiago Silva is a doubt after picking up an injury last weekCredit: Getty
      Diogo Jota was stretchered off against BrentfordCredit: Alamy
      The Blues booked their spot in the final with a comprehensive two-legged win over Middlesborough in the semi-finals.
      On the other hand, Liverpool edged past Fulham to have a chance at some silverware.
      The Reds are in with a shout of winning a quadruple this season with the Premier League, Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Europa League.
      However, the final on Sunday will not see many of either club’s star players showcased.
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      Chelsea
      Chelsea are without a number of defensive players for the match against Liverpool.
      Defenders Reece James, Benoit Badiashile and Marc Cucurella are all out of the final with long-term injuries.
      Mauricio Pochettino also revealed that Thiago Silva picked up a “minor injury” before the 1-1 draw against Manchester City.
      The manager added that the Brazilian will need to be “assessed” and could be a doubt.
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      Chelsea will also be without Romeo Lavia who has struggled with injuries since his summer arrival from Southampton.
      The midfielder is not training with the rest of the first team and Pochettino has ruled him out of the final.
      Virgil van Dijk breaks all-time Liverpool record vs Brentford before admitting on live TV that he had no idea
      Robert Sanchez is closing on a return for Chelsea having been out since December.
      The goalkeeper is back in partial training with the team as he recovers from his knee injury.
      Wesley Fofana will definitely be out the final as he is still recovering from a long-term knee injury.
      Carney Chukwuemeka is a fresh doubt after he missed the draw with City after twisting his ankle in training last week.
      Liverpool
      Jurgen Klopp will be without some of his key players for the final against Chelsea.
      The 4-1 win over Brentford on Saturday was marred by the triple withdrawal of Darwin Nunez, Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota.
      Jota looked devastated as he was stretchered off the pitch and Klopp confirmed that he had suffered the “worst” injury of the three.
      Curtis Jones was subbed off after getting a knock on his ankle during the game.
      He was seen on crutches after full-time, and Klopp insisted that it was a “normal” procedure.
      Nunez was taken off at half-time against the Bees and is now a doubt for the final.
      Klopp has suggested that the attacker “felt a little” during the match so they decided to “push the brake” and get him off.
      Alisson Becker’s absence could be a massive blow for the Reds after he picked up a muscle injury before the Brentford match.
      The extent of the goalkeeper’s injury is not yet known, and Caoimhin Kelleher could have to start in his place.
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      Trent Alexander-Arnold has been confirmed as an absentee for the final as he has a knee injury.
      Klopp has also put doubt on Dominik Szoboszlai’s appearance in the final as he has a hamstring problem. More

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      Liverpool blow as Trent Alexander-Arnold RULED OUT of Carabao Cup final vs Chelsea after aggravating knee injury

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      TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD has reportedly been ruled out of the Carabao Cup final.The Liverpool star is set to miss the clash against Chelsea after aggravating his knee injury.
      Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to miss the Carabao Cup finalCredit: Rex
      He has aggravated a knee injuryCredit: EPA
      Alexander-Arnold, 25, played 46 minutes in Liverpool’s win over Burnley on the weekend.
      However, the defender was replaced by Harvey Elliot by manager Jurgen Klopp.
      The Times have now reported that the England international will miss the Carabao Cup final after he aggravated his knee injury.
      The final takes place at Wembley Stadium on February 25 and will be the Reds’ first opportunity for silverware this season.
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      Alexander-Arnold will also miss Premier League fixtures against Brentford and Luton Town.
      Klopp did admit that the star “felt” after it was “stuck in the grass” his knee during the 3-1 over the Clarets.
      The German said: “He felt there [his knee].
      “He stuck in the grass. We will see, we need further assessment.
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      “Same area in the knee. Nothing really bad, but he felt it again and we have to see, we have to assess it.
      “Trent said it’s fine, but it’s not fine [because] he feels it so we had to be careful and take him off.”
      Fans say Trent Alexander-Arnold’s ‘payback game is STRONG’ as he responds to James Maddison’s cheeky ‘replay’ post
      Alexander-Arnold tore a lateral knee ligament in the match against Bournemouth in January and had his minutes limited in the following matches.
      He only played 22 minutes in the 4-1 win over Chelsea and 58 minutes in the 3-1 loss to Arsenal.
      However, the club’s management of his injury has not worked after his recent aggravation.
      Liverpool have had one injury boost that will soften the blow of losing Alexander-Arnold.
      Mohamed Salah has returned to training for the first time since he was injured at the African Cup of Nations.
      Chelsea, however, are expected to be without defender Benoit Badiashile after he was ruled out for at least a month. More

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      Chelsea hit by injury blow as Benoit Badiashile set to miss Carabao Cup final with groin problem

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      CHELSEA have suffered a huge injury blow after Benoit Badiashile was ruled out for at least a month.That means that Mauricio Pochettino will be without the defender for the Carabao Cup Final against Liverpool on February 25.
      Chelsea’s Benoit Badiashile is set to miss the Carabao Cup Final through injuryCredit: Reuters
      The 22-year-old French international suffered a groin problem during last weeks’ FA Cup victory at Aston Villa.
      After undergoing scans to determine the damage, the news has now been confirmed – and it is not good news for Poch nor the ex-Monaco ace.
      Badiashile is set to be sidelined for around four weeks, firstly meaning he is out of tonight’s trip to Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
      And he is also out of the away game against reigning champions Manchester City next week.
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      Then comes the Wembley showdown with the Reds before the FA Cup fifth round clash with Leeds.
      Badiashile will hope to have returned to training by the time Chelsea head to Brentford on March 2 and he could be back for the home game with Newcastle on March 11.
      The centre-back joined the Blues from Monaco for £35m in January 2023.
      He penned a seven-and-a-half year contract upon his arrival at Stamford Bridge but he has struggled for minutes this term due to injury problems.
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      That led to speculation that Lyon were looking to bring him back to Ligue 1 last month but the Blues decided to keep him.
      But Badiashile partnered Axel Disasi at centre-half against Villa after Thiago Silva was dropped and the pair impressed together.
      Chelsea FA Cup winner looks unrecognisable without iconic moustache 18 years after retiring
      Now any hopes of them forming a long-term partnership will have to take a back seat until he returns from injury.
      Meanwhile, fellow defender Levi Colwill has provided a boost to Pochettino after he was given the green light for the game at Palace.
      The England international, 20, has missed four games due to a hamstring injury.
      And Trevoh Chalobah, who is yet to play this season due to a thigh problem, is nearing a comeback and has returned to training. More

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      Sacking Pochettino for Mourinho would be utterly ridiculous, but Chelsea might just be crazy enough to do it

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      TODD BOEHLY would be a fool to sack Mauricio Pochettino before this month’s Carabao Cup Final.But then all common sense went out of the window along with the personal effects of three other managers since the American chairman took over Chelsea less than two years ago.
      Chelsea shouldn’t bring Jose Mourinho back to replace Mauricio PochettinoCredit: Rex
      Chelsea manager Pochettino has come under fire amid a turbulent campaignCredit: Getty
      Anyway, who would be daft enough to bin their boss in the run up to a Wembley final?
      Tottenham did it to Jose Mourinho in 2021 and it proved a disaster. Chelsea’s specialist subject at the moment.
      Mourinho is now out of work once more and already making sure his mug is getting pictured at football grounds around Europe.
      Take a straw poll of Chelsea fans today and bet the majority would take back the man who won them three Premier League titles and wave goodbye to Pochettino.
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      It would be utterly ridiculous for him to come back for a third time but if there is one man mad enough and one club crazy enough to go for it, it is The Special One and Chelsea.
      But even he might baulk at the challenge of trying to turn this club around.
      Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Frank Lampard all tried and failed to get a tune out of the most expensive squad in football history.
      A £1 billion orchestra hitting duff notes whoever is leading them. Makes you wonder whether it’s the players, the conductor or the people who own the concert hall who are to blame.
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      German Tommy Tuchel lasted exactly 100 days before getting Das Boot. Potter survived seven months and Lampard’s 11 games as caretaker boss are best consigned to memory.
      Chelsea’s greatest ever goalscorer and serial-winner left scratching his head at the way his club’s once-formidable character had been deconstructed in the space of 12 months.
      Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino APOLOGISES to fuming fans after watching his side thumped by Wolves
      Boehly and his pal Behdad Eghbali bought Chelsea for £2.5bn in May 2022 and promised to invest a further £1.75bn in revolutionising the entire squad.
      They have certainly done that. Pochettino is famed for his ability to develop young players but is getting nowhere fast with the costly collection of individuals dumped on him by Chelsea’s transfer department.
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      Mourinho enjoyed immense success as Chelsea manager
      Getting them to the Carabao Cup final on February 25 is a miracle. That they look destined to get ripped apart by Liverpool at Wembley is another matter.
      Pochettino admits his job is not safe. But one thing is for sure, he will not quit. As much as some of those Chelsea fans calling for his head in Sunday’s humiliating 4-2 home defeat by Wolves would like.
      They were also singing for former owner Roman Abramovich – so Boehly is not safe either. 
      The deposed Russian, now in exile, is always the person of first resort that a bunch of supporters used to winning big things every year reach for when times are tough.
      Pochettino has struggled during his debut campaign as Chelsea boss
      It won’t happen so the fans need to get used to that idea. 
      The Return (again) Of The Special One equally has the ring of a bad movie about it. Think Fast And The Furious XII or wherever we are at now.
      But when it comes to plugging dud films, that’s already right up Boehly’s street.
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      Reviews of recently released Boehly-backed Argylle – a cheesy spy thriller that has been universally panned – point to that.
      Incidentally, Argylle is meant to be part of a trilogy, if it makes it past the first episode. Jose III sounds equally doomed to fail but at least it would be entertaining.
      A bid for Mourinho by Chelsea owner Todd Boehly can’t be ruled outCredit: Rex More

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      Why winning the Carabao Cup could be the worst thing Pochettino does at Chelsea, thanks to little known rule

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      MAURICIO POCHETTINO knows his Chelsea future could rest on this month’s Carabao Cup Final against Liverpool – if he lasts that long.But the Blues hierarchy might privately wonder if a Wembley win could end up causing the club MORE financial problems than defeat against Jurgen Klopp’s side.
      Mauricio Pochettino is fighting to keep his Chelsea jobCredit: Getty
      Todd Boehly faces financial woes at ChelseaCredit: Rex
      Victory on February 25 would earn Pochettino his first piece of silverware in English football after his spate of near-misses at Spurs.
      It would also ensure that the Blues would be back in Europe next season – but only in the Conference League.
      And that is where the money men inside Stamford Bridge could well be starting to get more than slightly concerned.
      Financial analysts including former Manchester City executive Stefan Borsson have already predicted that Chelsea will have to sell players in the six week gap between the end of the season and the close of the football financial year on June 30 to avoid breaching Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules.
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      Those regulations give clubs leeway to make “allowable losses” of £105m over three seasons.
      The latest figures from accountants Deloitte estimated Chelsea’s annual wage bill at £350m, while their current “amortisation costs” of transfers is believed to be in the realm of £180m-plus heading into next year.
      Chelsea are already likely to earn at least £17m less in Prem TV money than they had envisaged.
      A top six place would be worth around £157m compared to the £140m if they remain in their current 11th position.
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      Then you can factor in two years of missing out of at least £75m in Champions League revenue.
      But more of a concern is that qualifying for Europe would mean Chelsea having to meet Uefa’s far MORE stringent financial rules – or face significant penalties.
      ‘All bets are off’ at ‘madhouse’ Chelsea says Sun Sport’s Andy Dillon following defeat against Wolves
      Under Uefa rules, introduced this season, clubs competing in any competition next term will be restricted to spending a maximum 80 per cent of their revenues on wages and transfers.
      Chelsea’s income is likely to fall to below £450m this season and next, with the Conference League worth no more than a maximum £15m if a team wins every game.
      Assuming that £450m income figure, Chelsea will not be allowed to spend more than £360m – which, given their current wage-bill, leaves just £10m to play with.
      In addition, Uefa’s FFP regulations, which will be a two year calculation next season, will only allow losses of £34m across 2023 and 2024, with calculation now done on a calendar year basis.

      It makes the prospect of Chelsea embarking on another huge summer spending spree, whoever is the manager, far less likely.
      Because the Blues regime amortised the transfer fees of the majority of their recruits over the past 18 months across up to eight seasons, they are carrying huge costs.
      Those sums still hanging over each player must be taken off the profits for any sales – so Chelsea would, for example, have to agree a deal of £38m for Marc Cucarella, £50m for injury-prone Wesley Fofana or £39m for unwanted Romelu Lukaku to avoid LOSING money of the departures.
      The “profit” point for both Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez is around £88m.
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      Prem rules are already forcing all clubs, including Chelsea, to rethink their approaches.
      But, bizarre as it sounds, getting into the Conference League might become a major nightmare – and effectively scotch their hopes of a summer of statement signings. More

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      Liverpool announce new date for Luton game after Carabao Cup final clash with Reds facing packed fixture list

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      LIVERPOOL’S Premier League clash with Luton has been moved to Wednesday 21 February.The Reds had initially been due to host the Hatters on February 24.
      Jurgen Klopp’s side are fighting on four frontsCredit: Getty
      But due to their Carabao Cup final involvement that weekend, Jurgen Klopp’s side will instead have to fit in an extra mid-week game.
      Liverpool are set for a hectic schedule during the second half of the season, as they continue to fight on four fronts.
      The Reds travel to Arsenal on Sunday looking to go eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
      They will then host Burnley on February 10 before facing Brentford in West London a week later.
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      Their clash with Luton will now slot in on February 21, kicking off at 7:30pm.
      Four days later Klopp will lead his team out at Wembley, possibly for the final time, as they face Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final.
      Another mid-week assignment will follow on February 28, with Liverpool to host the winner of the replay between Watford and Southampton in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
      Just three days later they will then travel to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
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      This period will see Liverpool have to play five times in just 15 days.
      It is then followed by a huge March that will see the Reds host Manchester City and travel to fierce rivals Everton.
      Next month they will also return to European action, having already booked their place in the round of 16 by winning their group.
      Liverpool’s next eight gamesThe Reds are entering a busy period
      February 4 – Arsenal (a) Premier League
      February 10 – Burnley (h) Premier League
      February 17 – Brentford (a) Premier League
      February 21 – Luton (h) Premier League
      February 25 – Chelsea (n) Carabao Cup
      February 28 – Watford/Southampton (h) FA Cup
      March 2 – Nottingham Forest (a) Premier League
      March 9 – Manchester City (h) Premier League More

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      Major TV change for Carabao Cup final between Liverpool and Chelsea as kick-off time announced amid police fears

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      A MAJOR scheduling change has been forced on the Carabao Cup final between Chelsea and Liverpool amid police fears. The Wembley showpiece was due to kick off at 4.30pm on Sunday.
      A major TV change has been forced on the Carabao Cup final between Chelsea and LiverpoolCredit: PA
      But the Metropolitan Police requested that it be brought forward after the rivalling Premier League sides made it to the final.
      Cops deemed the fixture as “high risk” and requested that it gets under way no later than 3pm.
      And now their wish has been granted, with kick-off moved back 90 minutes.
      An EFL spokesperson said: “Following representations from the @metpoliceuk, the local safety advisory group has determined the 2024 @Carabao_Cup Final will now kick-off at 3pm.
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      “Having previously scheduled the usual 4.30pm kick off time with @wembleystadium and @SkySports, it is disappointing to note the change at this late stage.”
      The FA has issued a 3pm TV blackout on Saturdays since the 1960s and is set to stay for another five years.
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      But it does not apply for Sundays, meaning the Carabao Cup clash can proceed with the amended time
      The game will be broadcast by Sky Sports.
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      Chelsea booked their place in the final by overcoming a 1-0 first leg loss to Middlesbrough by winning the return tie 6-1.
      Liverpool meanwhile overcame Fulham to set up a repeat of the 2022 final, which the Reds won on penalties.
      Liverpool won the Carabao Cup in 2022Credit: Marc Aspland – The Times More

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      Empty seats spotted at Fulham as fans boycott FA Cup clash against Newcastle

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      EMPTY seats were spotted at Craven Cottage as fans boycotted their FA Cup clash with Newcastle over ticket prices.The cheapest adult ticket for Saturday’s 7pm kickoff was priced at £40, which was also the case for Wednesday’s 1-0 Carabao Cup semi-final defeat against Liverpool.
      Pockets of empty seats were spotted inside the stadiumCredit: Reuters
      Corners of the stadium seemed particularly emptyCredit: ITV
      There was still a significant number of fans in the groundCredit: ITV
      Fulham fans posted screen grabs yesterday showing that many seats had failed to sell
      Ahead of the Cottagers’ 2-0 defeat, the Fulham Supporters Trust wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter): “We are disappointed with some aspects of the pricing for our FA Cup game v Newcastle, not least no guaranteed window for season ticket holders.
      “After encouraging changes to ticketing arrangements for our cup game v Liverpool, this is a step back. #AffordableFulham.”
      While the Trust itself has not called for a boycott of the game, many fans announced their intention to boycott before kick off under the #AffordableFulham hashtag.
      And it would appear plenty of fans followed through with a number of empty seats dotted around the ground.
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      Despite a selection of empty pockets there is little to suggest that the stadium is half full as some fans had suggested online.
      Fulham announced the official attendance as 18,960.
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      One fan tweeted: “My estimation is that less than 50% of seats have been sold for Saturday evening. Stay strong Fulham supporters as this will send a clear message to those who believe they run OUR club. #boycottFulham #affordableFulham.”
      Another wrote about the boycott: “A powerful reminder that our fans are frustrated by the lack of reciprocal loyalty shown by the Club in some key pricing decisions, particularly towards season ticket holders.
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      “It’ll be difficult, but I’m staying away on Saturday, because we deserve a better deal. #AffordableFulham.”
      While Fulham have said that they are satisfied with the number of tickets sold for the game, they declined to comment on the suggestion of a boycott.
      The Newcastle United Supporters Club also took to X to announce their solidarity with Fulham’s suggested boycott, writing: “Fair play to the Fulham fans making a stand tonight.
      “We fully support @FulhamSuppTrust and the #AffordableFulham campaign. £40 for a Saturday night game on TV is crazy and takes advantage of supporters.” More