Roberto Firmino has been ruled out of Liverpool’s Carabao Cup final tie against Chelsea, however Diogo Jota is on track to feature.
According to the Daily Mail, Firmino will not feature in the squad on Sunday. It’s more positive news for Jota, although it’s still not a guarantee he will be involved.
Jota managed to return to training this week but he will have to continue to prove his fitness over the next few days. Firmino has suffered an injury to his abductor and therefore has no chance of being involved at the weekend.
If both players are unable to make the final, it will be a real blow for Liverpool. Although they have new signing Luis Diaz available, neither him, Sadio Mane or Mohamed Salah are at their best when playing through the middle. Jota and Firmino operate in deep lying forward roles, who drop in between the lines, creating space for other attackers to break into. Being without a focal point to lead the line is a disappointment for Jurgen Klopp, so he will be hoping Jota can continue his recovery in time for Sunday.
Despite being without Jota or Firmino midweek against Leeds, they still managed an emphatic 6-0 win. The occasion and quality of opposition on Sunday however, will be significantly more difficult.