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Chelsea have been handed a double injury boost, with defenders Thiago Silva and Marc Cucurella returning to partial training ahead of the EFL (Carabao) Cup final against Liverpool.
With the game set to take place on Sunday, February 25, players will undergo more training sessions, which will allow manager Mauricio Pochettino to assess their fitness levels for the final.
The Blues boss affirmed the same during the pre-match press conference while discussing Silva and Cucurella's return (via football.london):
"I think we need to assess to see whether they can be involved on Sunday. Yes, I will communicate tomorrow if we recovered players from training. Yes, he [Thiago Silva] has the chance. Tomorrow, we will see."
Silva was injured on February 12 during Chelsea's 3-1 win against Crystal Palace and consequently missed their 1-1 draw at the Etihad with Manchester City. The 39-year-old defender has made 29 appearances for the Blues this season, amassing 2381 minutes. He is an integral first-team member and his return for the final could be a huge boost for Chelsea.
As for Cucurella, he was injured on December 10 against Everton and consequently underwent an ankle surgery. The player was scheduled to miss around three months of action and his return adds depth to the Blues' defensive ranks ahead of the final.
Who are the Chelsea players who will miss the Carabao Cup final?
Although the return of Silva and Cucurella adds to returning numbers for the Blues, they still have several players out injured. Benoit Badiashile, Reece James and Wesley Fofana, Carney Chukwuemeka, Romeo Lavia, and Lesley Ugochukwu are all still undergoing rehab and are not expected to feature in the EFL Cup final against Liverpool.
From the players they have available, the likely starters will include Malo Gusto, Axel Disasi, Ben Chilwell, Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Conor Gallagher, Cole Palmer, and Raheem Sterling.
It will be a toss-up for the goalkeeping slot between Robert Sanchez and Dorde Petrovic. Levi Colwill could have to sacrifice his starting slot for Thiago Silva while the forward's role is likely to be occupied by one of Nicolas Jackson or Christopher Nkunku.
