11 stars ruled out of Chelsea vs Liverpool as injury crisis causes havoc

Chelsea welcome Liverpool to Stamford Bridge on Saturday with both sides needing a result for their own reasons. Each team comes into the game after a worrying few weeks and will aim to head into the international break on a positive note.

And while both Enzo Maresca and Arne Slot will be hoping for productive evenings in West London, each manager has some thinking to do regarding their starting XIs, with injuries starting to take hold.

Chelsea boss Maresca finds himself with a lengthy list of unavailable players for the clash, potentially forcing significant tactical adjustments ahead of this weekend's encounter. Long-term casualties Dario Essugo, Liam Delap, and Levi Colwill remain sidelined with their respective problems.

READ MORE: Alan Shearer names major Florian Wirtz problem at Liverpool amid 'disaster' verdict

READ MORE: Arne Slot delivers Alexander Isak reality check ahead of Liverpool vs Chelsea

They're accompanied in the treatment room by star playmakerCole Palmer, whose groin problem is anticipated to keep him out until after the forthcoming international break. While several Chelsea stars are expected to make comebacks sooner rather than later, this weekend's showdown may arrive prematurely for their recoveries.

Centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo is nursing a calf complaint, while Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos looks set to miss out for several more weeks.

The defensive headache spreads throughout the squad as well. French defender Wesley Fofana isn't anticipated to feature this weekend as he continues working through concussion protocols.

Trevoh Chalobah also finds himself unavailable after receiving his marching orders during last weekend's clash with Brighton. Additionally, winger Mykhailo Mudryk continues serving his suspension.

Speaking in his pre-match briefing, bos Maresca acknowledged his squad was feeling the strain of their fitness problems. "Very difficult, very difficult, very hard, very difficult," said Maresca.

"Again, because the ones that they play, there is a big risk that they can get injured because they are the ones that are playing a lot.

"For instance, we lost Andrey Santos against Brighton, who will be out until after the international break. We have seven or eight players out, unfortunately for us in this moment.

"So it is difficult because also we struggled to repeat the same XI, but it is what it is. We need to adapt and try to win games. That is why it was so important tonight to win and also was the other day important, but unfortunately we did not win. Now we focus on Saturday."

Meanwhile, while Chelsea are battling their issues, there have been some encouraging updates from Liverpool.

Hugo Ekitike and Federico Chiesa are both available for selection, though goalkeeper Alisson Becker has been sidelined after picking up an injury against Galatasaray.

During his pre-match press conference, Arne Slot revealed: "Alisson is not part of the squad tomorrow and won't travel to Brazil as well with the national team. He will be out for Saturday.

"Hugo [Ekitike] is going to train again today and same can be said for Federico [Chiesa]. Alisson I would be surprised if he's there for first game after international break, but we don't know after that. Depends how quickly he can recover."

The Reds' sole long-term concern remains Italian defender Giovanni Leoni, who has had surgery for a serious knee problem.

Who will win between Liverpool and Chelsea? Share your predictions in the comments below

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.