Chelsea confirm new injury blow as Enzo Maresca reveals eight players set miss Liverpool clash

Chelsea have confirmed a new injury blow ahead of their clash against Liverpool.

The two sides meet at Stamford Bridge on Saturday needing to bounce back in the Premier League. The Reds lost 2-1 to Crystal Palace last weekend before slipping to a 1-0 loss at Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

While Chelsea earned a 1-0 triumph over Benfica in Europe’s elite club competition, they have been beaten in three of their previous four league games.

Injuries have taken their toll for the West London side. Talisman Cole Palmer is already confirmed to miss the Liverpool clash with an ongoing groin issue. The attacking midfielder is joined by Liam Delap, Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo and Dario Essugo on the Chelsea treatment table. Meanwhile, Trevoh Chalobah must serve a domestic suspension after being issued a red card in last weekend’s 3-1 defeat by Brighton & Hove Albion.

And against Benfica, Enzo Maerca’s side were missing Andrey Santos. The midfielder has been sideline until after the international break. Speaking after the Benfica game, Maresca said via football.london: “Very difficult, very difficult, very hard, very difficult. Again, because the ones that they play, there is a big risk that they can get injured because they are the ones that are playing a lot. For instance, we lost from Brighton Andrey Santos, who will be out until after the international break.

“We have seven, eight players out unfortunately for us in this moment. So it's difficult because also we struggled to repeat the same 11, but it's what it is. We need to adapt and we try to win games. That's why it was so important tonight to win and also was the other day important, but unfortunately we didn't win. Now we focus on Saturday.”

Meanwhile, Liverpool are set to head to Chelsea without No.1 goalkeeper Alisson Becker. The Brazil international was forced off injured against Galatasaray with a suspected hamstring injury. Head coach Arne Slot admitted he does not expect Alisson to feature at Stamford Bridge so it means there will be a Premier League debut for Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Slot said: “When he sprinted back he felt something. I cannot tell you [exactly] because I am not a physio, but normally when a player when he sprints back, feels something, goes to the floor and doesn't come back onto the pitch [it's not good].

"If my player is on the floor, I nine out of 10 times fear the worst – and by the worst I mean he cannot continue. That's what happened with Alisson. Normally, he will not be able to play Saturday. That's 99.9 per cent – I've already said 100 per cent, but let's make it 99.9 [although] I think it's 100."

Hugo Ekitike was also forced off with injury against Galatasaray. However, the striker is hopeful that he has not sustained a serious problem. Slot added: "After the game, that's always the difficult thing with these moments when players feel like it is not too bad, but when you just walk around it is something different than when you make a sprint or have to shoot on target. He said he couldn't continue so we had to take him off. Let's see how he is for the weekend."