Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool provide evidence that Chelsea struggles are temporary

Joe Cole full of praise for Thomas Tuchel and his impact over the past 12 months

Joe Cole makes prediction for Carabao Cup final between Chelsea and Liverpool

Mikel Arteta quizzed on Takehiro Tomiyasu's absence against Wolves

Mikel Arteta reacts to dramatic win over Wolves

Chelsea V Liverpool Carabao Cup Final In Numbers

Conte says Spurs need to pay attention to the relegation zone

Mikel Arteta praises his team's mentality following win over Wolves

Chelsea are scheduled to meet Liverpool this weekend, with the winners of this year's Carabao Cup set to be decided at Wembley on Sunday afternoon.

It looks set to be a tight contest featuring two of Europe's best sides, although one of the two coaches will be missing two of his regular and most important starters on the day.

Thomas Tuchel is likely Reece James and Ben Chilwell for the high-profile bout. The pair of defenders have been sidelined for the whole of 2022, and the Blues have missed them greatly.

Marcos Alonso has attempted to compensate for the absence of Chilwell in particular, but the English duo cannot be adequately replaced. They are both mobile, attack-minded, youthful, creative and capable of scoring goals on a regular basis as wing-backs.

Tuchel's system was essentially constructed to maximise their contributions on the flanks. Without them, his 3-4-3 has not been the same.

Interestingly, Chelsea's upcoming opponents could offer an insight into their struggles by providing a degree of perspective. Liverpool experienced a disastrous period last year due to injuries, but they have recovered and return to normal this season.

Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all suffered from long-term absences, and Ibrahima Konate was still playing for RB Leipzig in