Pep Lijnders offers injury update on Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez before Chelsea cup final

Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders has suggested that Reds pair Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez could be fit to face Chelsea in the 2023-24 EFL Cup final on February 25.

The Reds, who are currently leading the Premier League table with 60 points from 26 games, have lately been ravaged with a host of injuries. Both Salah and Nunez missed their team's thrilling 4-1 Premier League victory over Luton Town at Anfield earlier on Wednesday.

During a pre-game press conference, Lijnders was asked to offer an update on the Reds duo ahead of their EFL Cup encounter against Chelsea this Sunday. He said (h/t Liverpoolfc.com):

"We come in a crazy schedule again, so we play every three days. It's important for us to use each minute, use each day to really look how the players are. This is for Mo, [Dominik Szoboszlai] and Darwin. Two training sessions to go, let's see how they are and then we can make a decision in the last minute."

Providing an update on other injured Reds stars, Lijnders elaborated:

"And all the others, we know it's longer. [Alisson Becker] has a muscle injury. Trent [Alexander-Arnold], [lateral collateral ligament] LCL. [Diogo] Jota, medial ligament, MCL. Curtis [Jones], a high ankle sprain. They will be longer out. Curtis is probably the first one [to come back] around the international break. All the others will be after the international break."

So far this season, Salah and Nunez have both been vital to Liverpool's quadruple charge. While the Egyptian has contributed 19 goals and 10 assists in 28 matches, the 24-year-old Uruguay international has scored 13 times and provided 11 assists in 37 overall outings.

Former Liverpool ace urges Jurgen Klopp to drop star for EFL Cup final against Chelsea

Speaking recently on the Premier League Productions, ex-Reds midfielder Danny Murphy urged Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to drop Joe Gomez in their match against Chelsea. He said (h/t The Boot Room):

"I think he will have to make a decision on Gomez at right-back or if he sticks with Conor Bradley in there. I'd play the young lad. Go after Chelsea, they're more in fear of you than you are of them, he was just Man of the Match against Chelsea, let him go again."

Gomez, who is currently the Reds' longest-serving star, has mostly been used as a full-back this term due to his fine positional versatility. With Conor Bradley relishing a breakthrough campaign and Andrew Robertson fit for Sunday's contest, he could start on the bench.

Bradley, meanwhile, is currently making the most of Trent Alexander-Arnold's knee injury. The 20-year-old Northern Irishman has laid out five assists in 11 games this season, bagging his first Premier League goal in a 4-1 win over Chelsea at Anfield earlier on January 31.