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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Connor O'Neill

Chelsea handed quadruple injury boost as Thomas Tuchel makes Liverpool selection claim

Thomas Tuchel has reported that he has a full complement of Chelsea players to choose from for the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool this weekend.

Chelsea had concerns over four players going into the fixture but only Ben Chilwell, who remains out for the season, will be unavailable for selection.

Reece James, Hakim Ziyech, Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount were all doubts to face Liverpool at Wembley on Sunday afternoon due to injury.

However, James returned to training after two months out with a hamstring injury earlier this week, while Mount was back on the bench for Tuesday’s Champions League win over Lille.

Kovacic and Ziyech both limped off during the 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge, but Tuchel has revealed that the pair trained as normal on Friday and are available for selection.

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"We had training today with everyone out on the pitch except for Ben Chilwell which is brilliant news and this is pretty much it. Both okay, since today,” Tuchel said.

"They were not only on the pitch with separate programmes, everybody joined team training from the first to the last minute. We have no reactions at the moment but positive reactions.

"I hope it stays like this, we have another training tomorrow and everybody is available for Sunday."

And when pushed on whether James could start, Tuchel replied: “Even if I wanted to I am not sure if I could answer your question right now.

“He looked brilliant in the past two training sessions. Let’s wait and see if I am crazy enough to put him on the pitch. You are tempted to do it. Let’s see, we have a little bit of time.”

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has already confirmed that Caoimhin Kelleher will start against the Stamford Bridge club on Sunday.

Kelleher will replace first-choice Alisson Becker between the sticks as he has played in all but two games in this season’s competition for his side.

But when asked whether Kepa Arrizabalaga would replace Edouard Mendy, Tuchel admitted he is yet to make a decision on who will start in goal for Chelsea.

“First of all I will not tell you. I will take the decision late," he said via football.london.

“Kepa played in the Club World Cup semi-final and brought us to the final but then we took the decision to go with Edou for the final, who was back from the African Cup of Nations.

“The last decision we will take after training as always. Kepa did fantastic in the period that we had to be without Edou, so it's an uncomfortable and very comfortable situation to be in.”

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