Mateo Kovacic will pull out all the stops to be fit for Chelsea in FA Cup final

Mateo Kovacic will pull out all the stops to be fit for Chelsea in Saturday’s FA Cup final clash with Liverpool at Wembley.

The Croatia midfielder hobbled out of Wednesday’s 3-0 Premier League win at Leeds with an ankle ligament problem.

N’Golo Kante is also battling to be fit after a series of niggles, though Callum Hudson-Odoi will miss out through ongoing back trouble.

Midfielder Fabinho has been ruled out of Liverpool’s final three matches of the domestic season with a hamstring injury.

Captain Jordan Henderson will come in and fill the holding role with Thiago Alcantara also likely to return to the starting line-up after being rested for the midweek win over Aston Villa.

Mohamed Salah, a substitute at Villa Park, is set to start up front alongside Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz with left-back Andy Robertson expected to return after being given Tuesday off.

Chelsea provisional squad: Mendy, Arrizabalaga, Chalobah, Christensen, Rudiger, Silva, Sarr, Azpilicueta, Alonso, James, Barkley, Loftus-Cheek, Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic, Niguez, Ziyech, Pulisic, Mount, Havertz, Werner, Lukaku.

Liverpool provisional squad: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Keita, Thiago, Salah, Mane, Diaz, Kelleher, Gomez, Matip, Tsimikas, Milner, Jones, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jota, Firmino, Minamino.

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