Liverpool without two key players for Chelsea clash as Enzo Maresca looks to make huge statement

Chelsea take on Liverpool at Anfield next weekend as Enzo Maresca looks to take advantage of the Premier League leaders being without two important players due to injury

Chelsea make the trip up to Anfield after the international break as Enzo Maresca looks to keep his team's strong recent form up.

However, it is arguably Maresca's toughest challenge since being appointed Blues head coach in the summer. A trip to the Premier League leaders, who have lost just the one match under Arne Slot and won the other six matches.

Chelsea, though, will fancy their chances at Anfield - a place where they have not won since March 2021 where Mason Mount scored the only goal of the game for Thomas Tuchel's side to claim all three points. The Blues have been playing some exceptional attacking football in recent weeks and will be looking to show their 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest before the two-week international break was nothing more than a tiny blip in what otherwise has been a really encouraging start to the 2024/25 season.

Liverpool will be without No.1 goalkeeper Alisson Becker for the visit of Chelsea. Alisson limped off in the second-half of the Reds' 1-0 win against Crystal Palace last weekend with a hamstring injury and has been ruled out for the Chelsea game.

Caoimhin Kelleher is expected to replace Alisson in between the posts for the match despite Vitezslav Jaros impressing on his debut at Selhurst Park. Kelleher missed the trip to south London through illness but is expected to return to the side next Sunday afternoon.

Another player expected to miss the Chelsea match is midfielder Harvey Elliott. The 21-year-old has been sidelined with a foot fracture for just under two months having only made one appearance under Slot prior to that.

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Liverpool, though, have some great depth in midfield with the likes of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, who have all been in great form at the start of the season. It will be a challenging day for Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez who will both have to put in an outstanding performance for the Blues to take anything away from Merseyside.

As for Chelsea, at the time of writing, their injury situation is very positive. Maresca will be hoping to have an almost fully fit squad to choose from with Reece James expected to be the only absentee at Anfield.

The Blues, however, will be without two key players in Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella. The duo both picked up their fifth yellow card of the season in the draw with Forest last weekend, meaning they will serve their one-match suspension against the league leaders.

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