Injury Update – As many as 16 players set to miss Liverpool vs Chelsea
Liverpool and Chelsea gear up for a depleted clash at Anfield
Liverpool take on Chelsea this Saturday afternoon at Anfield, and the match is shaping up to be one of the most injury-hit fixtures of the season. With as many as 16 players potentially missing across both teams, Arne Slot and Chelsea’s interim boss Calum McFarlane are left searching for answers in a heavily disrupted lineup.
Liverpool’s injury list is currently the longest in the Premier League. Alisson Becker hasn’t featured since 18 March due to a hamstring injury, and Slot confirmed on 3 May that the keeper still hasn’t rejoined team training, making his return this weekend a massive doubt. Since Giorgi Mamardashvili is also out with a knee injury, third-choice keeper Freddie Woodman is set to step in once again.
Up front, Mohamed Salah is still sidelined after picking up a muscle injury at Crystal Palace, though the club hope to have him back soon, potentially as early as next week’s trip to Aston Villa. Alexander Isak missed Manchester United’s loss with a minor knock in training, but Slot is optimistic the striker can feature on Saturday.
On the long-term front, Hugo Ekitike is out until at least December 2026 after rupturing his Achilles tendon in April. Both Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni are finished for the season, while Wataru Endo is finally nearing a return to training following his ankle surgery back in February.
Chelsea move to Anfield on the back of six straight league losses. Their squad depth is also being tested, with Robert Sanchez and Jesse Derry both uncertain after head injuries during Monday’s 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest. Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho sat out that match with minor knocks; while they might return by 9 May, it’s a toss-up whether they will be ready for this weekend. Estevao and Jamie Gittens are completely out of contention, and Mykhailo Mudryk is still serving his four-year doping ban while waiting on a CAS appeal. (Via Liverpool Echo)
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Are an injury-hit Liverpool still the favourite?
In short, yes. Chelsea’s chances of making Europe are basically gone, and the mood around the club is not right following yet another change in the dugout. Anfield is also a notoriously difficult place for them, as they have managed just one league win there since 2014. Even with a patched-up side full of youngsters and a third-string goalkeeper, Liverpool look far more organised than a Chelsea team that currently seem lost and low on confidence. Slot has his work cut out for him, but Chelsea’s issues go much deeper.
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