Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says Chelsea should not be forgotten about when talking about the teams who could win this season’s Premier League title.
Manchester City, the current champions, remain the favourites to win the league ahead of Liverpool, but Klopp believes Chelsea have the strength and the title-winning experience to make them contenders.
Klopp’s side host Chelsea in the third round of the League Cup on Wednesday night. Then on Saturday, it’s first versus third as Premier League leaders Liverpool travel to Stamford Bridge.
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With two games in just four days against Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea, Klopp is expecting a tough test.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Klopp said: “I know that people always are talking about – I don’t know exactly why – Man City being clear or us being champion at the end of the season or whatever but they completely forgot Chelsea.
“This team is experienced. They have won the title already, 80% probably twice and they know how it works. That is a really good group, a really strong football team.”
Liverpool vs. Chelsea
- What: League Cup third round
- When: Wednesday 26 September
- Where: Anfield, Liverpool
- Kick-off: 7.45pm
- TV channel: live on Sky Sports Football
Liverpool team news
Before the Premier League meeting at the weekend, it’s third-round action between Liverpool and Chelsea in the Carabao Cup at Anfield on Wednesday night.
The London Evening Standard reports that Liverpool back-up goalkeeper Simon Mignolet will return to the starting line-up.
“The only position I will confirm today is Simon [Mignolet] – Simon will start,” said Klopp. “All the rest, you have to wait until tomorrow. But it will be a good team, believe me!
“Each game is an opportunity,” he said. It’s all about the situation and whether the player is ready, he explained, and “all the things you have to consider when you think about a line-up”.
Defender Virgil van Dyke looks set to miss the cup tie due to a rib injury but Dejan Lovren is in contention to start. Lovren played for Croatia in the World Cup final in July but injured his pelvis this season.
“Dejan looks actually quite good,” Klopp told the club’s website. “He [has] trained completely normally now four times. He had a very intense period before that; he trained with the fitness guys... for ten days or so before we took him... in normal training. So he looks ready.”
Dominic Solanke is also in contention but Adam Lallana and Divock Origi are likely to miss out.
Chelsea team news
The Daily Express predicts that Chelsea boss Sarri could make a number of changes for the first game of the double-header against Liverpool.
Sarri is expected to “completely reshuffle” his team in order to keep his best players fresh and injury-free ahead of the league clash on Saturday.
Eden Hazard, N’Golo Kante and the rest of Sarri’s key first-team stars could get the night off, says the Express. Willy Caballero is expected to play in goal while Gary Cahill and Andreas Christensen could feature in defence.
The London Evening Standard adds that winger Pedro and defender Antonio Rudiger will “almost certainly be rested” because of injuries.
As well as Christensen and Cahill, there could also be starting spots for Ethan Ampadu, Ross Barkley and Cesc Fabregas. Spanish striker Alvaro Morata is expected to lead the attack.
Chelsea boss Gianfranco Zola says the Blues are aiming for wins in both games against Liverpool. He told Sky Sports: “Personally I think as Chelsea we want to win both of them if we can. The game on Saturday will be huge. It means a lot.
“It is an important game [in the cup]. We are Chelsea FC and we want to play all of our games and try to win. We’re going to take it seriously.”
Predicted starting XIs
How the teams could line-up in the League Cup tie, according to the London Evening Standard.
- Liverpool (4-3-3): Mignolet; Clyne, Matip, Gomez, Moreno; Milner, Fabinho, Keita; Sturridge, Solanke, Shaqiri
- Chelsea (4-3-3): Caballero; Zappacosta, Christensen, Cahill, Emerson; Fabregas, Ampadu, Barkley; Moses, Morata, Hudson-Odoi
How to watch on TV
The third-round tie at Anfield is live on Sky Sports Football. Kick-off is at 7.45pm.
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