Will Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota be fit for Chelsea clash in EFL Cup final? Fresh reports emerge on Liverpool duo

Liverpool pair Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota could reportedly miss their team's EFL Cup final against Chelsea after suffering respective injuries in a 4-1 league win at Brentford on Saturday.

Earlier on February 17, the Reds eased past Thomas Frank's side to register their 17th Premier League win of the campaign to remain top of the table. But, they lost Jones to an ankle injury in the 34th minute and Jota to a knee problem 10 minutes later in the first half.

Now, Liverpool have an anxious wait on their hands to discover the severity of their respective injuries. Earlier this weekend, The Athletic reported that the omens were not good as Jones left Brentford wearing a protective boot and the ex-Porto man's knee was in a brace.

Meanwhile, Reds manager Jurgen Klopp suggested that the aforementioned pair's respective conditions are not ideal after his team's victory at the Gtech Community Stadium. He said (h/t ESPN):

"We have to see how much it costs us – we don't know that yet. Curtis got a knock on the lower part of his shin or above the ankle. We will see what that means. It was what he felt, but he was not 100% sure. That Curtis cannot play on tells you that it must be something because he would have played on at all costs."

Shedding light on Jota's knee issue, the 56-year-old coach concluded:

"Diogo looks probably the worst; I didn't see it back but I heard the pictures didn't look great as well, so we have to see there. Mixed emotions because we lost players, and we don't know how serious it is. It doesn't look great for either of them."

The Reds, who will take on Chelsea in the EFL Cup final on February 25, could be without both Jones and Jota next Sunday. They are also currently without the likes of Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dominik Szoboszlai, Thiago Alcantara, and Joel Matip.

Jamie Carragher backs Liverpool to get the better of Chelsea in 2023-24 EFL Cup final

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has claimed that his former team have an upper hand over Chelsea despite the latter's recent 1-1 draw at Manchester City. He said (h/t Mirror):

"Chelsea had to take something from the game into the cup final. You had to build some belief. Playing away at Manchester City is a tougher game than playing Liverpool at Wembley. Liverpool's injuries as well... I think it will be a tight game. I think the Reds will just have the edge."

The Reds, who defeated the west London club in the 2022 EFL Cup final, are atop the 2023-24 Premier League table with 57 points from 25 matches. Chelsea are in 10th place with 35 points from 25 games.

Meanwhile, Liverpool relish a fine recent record against Mauricio Pochettino's side. They have registered eight victories, five draws, and just two losses in their last 15 outings across competitions against Chelsea.