Chelsea could be without five players for Liverpool clash at Anfield

Some of those players could still recover in time, but it leaves uncertainty around key areas of the squad only days before a huge fixture in our race for Champions League qualification.

Pedro Neto’s possible absence would be particularly significant given the Portuguese international has been one of Chelsea’s few consistent attacking threats during difficult periods this season.

Chelsea also come into the game after another damaging defeat, losing 3-1 at home to Nottingham Forest despite Joao Pedro scoring a stunning late overhead kick.

Speaking after that loss, the Brazilian admitted the Blues need to “step up” and rediscover consistency after another poor defensive display.

Liverpool also battling problems ahead of Anfield showdown

Of course, we’re hardly heading into this one at full strength ourselves.

Liverpool currently have more injured players than any other Premier League side, with Mo Salah, Hugo Ekitike, Alisson Becker and Giorgi Mamardashvili among those sidelined.

That context matters after the defeat at Old Trafford, where Arne Slot was forced to again rely on third-choice goalkeeper Freddie Woodman and a heavily disrupted squad.

Even so, this still feels like a huge opportunity for Liverpool.

Chelsea have lost momentum completely in recent weeks, their hopes of Champions League football are over, and confidence around the club appears fragile following another managerial change.

A win at Anfield would secure Champions League qualification for us and, despite the frustrations of recent performances, there’s still every reason to believe Slot’s side should have enough quality to take advantage of a struggling Chelsea team.