Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel and Liverpool's Pep Lijnders were in agreement as they backed UEFA's decision to move the Champions League final from St Petersburg.

Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine on Thursday and that conflict escalated on Friday, with reports suggesting the fighting has now reached the capital of Kiev.

In response, many countries and organisations around the world have imposed sanctions on Russia, as well as Russian entities and individuals.

UEFA acted by moving the Champions League final to the Stade de France in Paris, a decision that The Russian Football Union (RFU) denounced, accusing UEFA of failing to detach sport from politics.

But Tuchel and Liverpool assistant Lijnders, whose sides face off in the EFL Cup final on Sunday, both shared the same opinion that it was the only decision to take.

When asked about moving the Champions League final, Tuchel – whose side won the competition last season – responded: "Yes. A clear yes, and sadly I think it's the worse reason to change a location. 

"The absolutely worst reason. We feel horrible about it in general, it clouds our minds and focus, of course. We can absolutely understand the decision.

"At the moment, we don't think so much about it [the Champions League final]. It's nice you mentioned it and it's like this the last two [years] because of coronavirus. We thought that this was not good news and now we have even worse news.

"There are things more important the focus from us, in general, sporting and globally speaking is not on the [Champions League] final."

Lijnders also echoed Tuchel's thoughts, telling reporters: "What happens at the moment is truly awful, so serious, and as a football coach sitting here in front of sports journalists it is not a time to speak my personal opinion. 

"It doesn't feel appropriate. What I can say is I'm a father, a brother, a son, a human being, a husband. It's hard for all those people there and it's just really frightening at the moment. 

"And of course it's the right decision to move the Champions League final. I think each war is a true disappointment for human kind."

Manchester City's dramatic loss to Tottenham, and Liverpool's demolition of Leeds United, means the Premier League title race is very much alive.

The gap is down to just three points at the top, with 12 games remaining for each side, while Chelsea are not quite out of the equation just yet, either.

The Blues and the Reds get a break from league duties this week as they will contest Sunday's EFL Cup final, meaning City have the chance to put that Spurs loss behind them and put the pressure back on the chasing pack.

And it just so happens they're facing opponents who have really, really not done well against them lately.

A taste for Toffees

On his first visit to Goodison Park, Pep Guardiola suffered a 4-0 defeat. That result in January 2017 remains his most one-sided defeat in league football and left some observers wondering whether his tried and tested methods would be unsuccessful in the 'blood and thunder' of the Premier League.

Three league titles later, we know definitively that those concerns were a load of rubbish. And since that famous win five years ago, Everton have not enjoyed themselves against City.

That result was the Toffees' only win in the previous 17 league meetings between these sides. The most recent eight have all been won by City, including the past four at Goodison Park; they only had four wins from 20 previous visits.

Everton have only lost nine times in a row against the same opponent in league football twice before: against Manchester United between 1999 and 2004, and Portsmouth, who won 13 consecutive meetings between 1947 and 1956.

Let us be Frank

When Everton thumped Brentford 4-1 in the FA Cup in January, the mood on the blue half of Merseyside was buoyant: gone were the mutinous days under Rafael Benitez, replaced by renewed optimism under new boss Frank Lampard.

Since then, they have lost 3-1 at Newcastle United and 2-0 at Southampton, a 3-0 home win over Leeds United sandwiched in between. It means they have lost 13 of their 23 league matches this season, which is already as many defeats as they suffered in the whole of 2020-21, and 12 of them have come in their most recent 16 games.

Given City are on a 12-game unbeaten away run and have only conceded eight goals on their travels all season, you sense that belief in a positive result will be scarce among the home fans – even more so if you consider Guardiola's record against English managers. Apart from a 3-2 loss to Graham Potter's Brighton and Hove Albion in May last season, City have won every one of their past 25 league games against teams led by an Englishman.

Still, perhaps there is reason to think Lampard is the man to buck the trend. After all, aside from Potter, the last English manager to beat Guardiola in league football was, you guessed it, Lampard – his Chelsea team won 2-1 back in June 2020. Plus, as a player, Lampard won 15 of his 21 league games against City; he only managed more victories against five other Premier League teams.

Dom-struck

Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored in each of Everton's first three games of the season. Since coming back from injury in January, he has gone five games without a goal.

That said, his expected goals tally in that time is only 1.04, so it's not as though chances have been coming thick and fast. Indeed, he has only averaged 2.5 shots per 90 minutes in that time, at a value of 0.09xG per attempt.

His form is in stark contrast to England team-mate Raheem Sterling, who has hit 12 goals in 18 games in all competitions since the beginning of November. It took him 58 matches in 12 months to score his previous 12.

If Sterling wasn't enough to worry Everton, then consider Riyad Mahrez, who has been directly involved in 25 goals in 30 City games in 2021-22. He needs just four goals and assists combined to match his record tally in English football, set during Leicester City's unforgettable title triumph in 2015-16. 

Russia's Andrey Rublev wrote "no to war" on a camera lens as he joined compatriot Daniil Medvedev in calling for peace.

Rublev beat Hubert Hurkacz 3-6 7-5 7-6 (7-5) on Friday to progress to the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships.

After confirming his place in a showdown with either Denis Shapovalov or Jiri Vesely, the 24-year-old world number seven took a pen and scribed "no to war" on the lens of a television camera.

It is not uncommon for players to write messages on camera lenses, but a plea for peace was an emotive move from Rublev.

On Thursday, Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine following weeks of rising political tensions. The conflict escalated further still on Friday, with reports of fighting within the capital city of Kyiv.

Rublev's actions came after Medvedev – who will succeed Novak Djokovic as world number one next week – said he wanted to "promote peace".

Medvedev has reached the final four of the Mexican Open in Acapulco.

Rublev had previously expressed his wish for peace in a news conference at the Dubai event.

"In these moments you realise that my match is not important," Rublev said, with a video clip shared to his official Instagram account.

"It's not about my match, how it affects me. What's happening is much more terrible.

"You realise how important it is to have peace in the world and to respect each other no matter what, to be united. 

"We should take care of our Earth and of each other. This is the most important thing."

Russia's Andrey Rublev wrote "no war please" on a camera lens as he joined compatriot Daniil Medvedev in calling for peace.

Rublev beat Hubert Hurkacz 3-6 7-5 7-6 (7-5) on Friday to progress to the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships.

After confirming his place in a showdown with Jiri Vesely, the 24-year-old world number seven took a pen and scribed "no to war" on the lens of a television camera.

Vesely later wrote 'no war' on a camera lens after defeating Denis Shapovalov to book his place in the final.

It is not uncommon for players to write messages on camera lenses, but a plea for peace was an emotive move from Rublev.

On Thursday, Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine following weeks of rising political tensions. The conflict escalated further still on Friday, with reports of fighting within the capital city of Kyiv.

Rublev's actions came after Medvedev – who will succeed Novak Djokovic as world number one next week – said he wanted to "promote peace".

Medvedev has reached the final four of the Mexican Open in Acapulco.

Rublev had previously expressed his wish for peace in a news conference at the Dubai event.

"In these moments you realise that my match is not important," Rublev said, with a video clip shared to his official Instagram account.

"It's not about my match, how it affects me. What's happening is much more terrible.

"You realise how important it is to have peace in the world and to respect each other no matter what, to be united. 

"We should take care of our Earth and of each other. This is the most important thing."

Cristiano Ronaldo acknowledged that he will not "be playing for many more years" but insisted he has the desire to win more.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has tasted success in England, Spain, Italy and on the international stage with Portugal.

The 37-year-old boasts the all-time scoring records in the Champions League and men's international football.

But the Manchester United forward wants to keep adding to that illustrious list of achievements as he heads into the twilight of his career.

"It's hard to say that I don’t want to win more," Ronaldo told DAZN in an interview published on Friday.

"If I'm at a club and I'm part of a national team that gives me the opportunity to win more, then why not?

"I know that I’m not going to be playing for many more years, hopefully about four or five more years, we'll see. But I want to win more."

Ronaldo recently endured a lean run of scoring form, failing to find the net in six appearances in all competitions during January and February – his longest run without club goal since a seven-game streak in December 2008 and January 2009.

But he ended that spell with a goal against Brighton and Hove Albion on February 15, taking his tally to 15 in 29 appearances across all competitions this season, and Ronaldo suggested he will carry on playing for as long as he enjoys to.

"I follow my own path, working on a daily basis, still trying to improve in every way and looking after myself both physically and mentally," he added.

"I'm quite old for football. In the past, great players used to play until they were older, but they didn't have as many games as we do.

"I've already reached that number [1,000 games], but like I mentioned, taking care of my body, continuing to work, and having the same enthusiasm as I used to, I can still give it all.

"Most importantly, I continue to enjoy what I do."

Ronaldo's impact has not just aided United in their fight for Champions League qualification, but his influence has also rubbed off on other players, such as Jadon Sancho.

"It is great to play next to someone who people call the GOAT [greatest of all time], so it is actually kind of crazy," Sancho told BBC Sport.

"When he first came into the dressing room I was kind of stunned. I couldn't believe that I was going to be playing alongside him.

"To have him around is fantastic, he is a great player and is a great guy. He always wants to win and for the younger players he is always helping us learn new things, telling us what to do and how to do things to make things better.

"Just being aware what is going on [he can help with] because he has been in the game for so long and he has that experience of how to beat players and to know where to be at the right time, like when a ball is being delivered and things like that.

"He is just a magician. I really appreciate him for that and he is just a great guy overall."

Ronaldo and Sancho will be hoping to partner up for more United success when Ralf Rangnick's side host Watford on Saturday.

United have never lost a home league game against Watford (W11 D2) – no side have they faced more at home in their league history without suffering defeat.

Massimiliano Allegri insisted it is "actually impossible" for Juventus to recover to win the Scudetto as he previewed Saturday's clash with Empoli.

The Bianconeri have enjoyed an upturn in form since struggling at the start of the Serie A campaign, sitting in fourth as they fight with Atalanta for the final Champions League qualification spot.

Juve are also still in Europe's elite competition – their last-16 tie with Villarreal finely poised after a 1-1 draw in the first leg – and the Coppa Italia, where they face Fiorentina in a two-legged semi-final clash across March and April.

Allegri was quick to quash suggestions Juve – who are unbeaten in 12 Serie A games – can still win the Scudetto this season, revealing he may rest either Dusan Vlahovic or Alvaro Morata on Saturday as he eyes success elsewhere.

"Tomorrow, Moise Kean could play. If he does, one of Vlahovic or Alvaro Morata will rest," Allegri said at Friday's pre-match news conference.

"Kean always has chances to score, so I am very calm. We are fighting on all fronts, even if the Scudetto is hard. Actually, impossible.

"We are out of the title race, I think that 85 points will be enough to win the title and we can't reach that. We have a Coppa Italia semi-final against Fiorentina and the Champions League against Villarreal.

"At the moment, it's a good season. Let's see which trophies we can lift, it's not easy to win every year. The important thing is to improve, but we have to do more in some situations."

Juve could be 12 points adrift of leaders Milan by the time they are next in action, given Stefano Pioli's men host Udinese on Friday.

Juve have won each of their last four top-flight visits to Empoli and Aurelio Andreazzoli's side are winless in nine Serie A matches, their longest such streak since November 2018, but Allegri is aware of the threat they could pose.

"We lost in the reverse fixture and it's never easy to play at Empoli," he added.

"We need to give continuity to our recent results. We need solid performance and recharge batteries, physically and mentally.

"Empoli have three offensive players, it's difficult to play against them. They have no problems in the table, we know that we must win tomorrow.

"We made many mistakes in Spain and didn't make the most of some opportunities.

"We must understand the right moment to 'kill' the opponents. We were doing well against Villarreal, but then we conceded a goal because we were too naive.

"When you play at a high level, you can't give your opponents the chance to get back in the game."

Allegri will have to do without several key figures as well, with Weston McKennie, Paulo Dybala, Alex Sandro, and Giorgio Chiellini heading a growing list of absentees.

Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino is unconcerned by recent wastefulness in front of goal and believes his star-studded attack will soon click.

PSG suffered just their second league loss of the season at Nantes last week, going down 3-1 despite creating plenty of chances and finishing the match with an expected goals (xG) of 3.8, with Neymar missing a second-half penalty after the Parisians had found themselves three goals down.

The Ligue 1 leaders also missed a penalty in their recent 1-0 Champions League win over Real Madrid, with Lionel Messi failing to beat Thibaut Courtois on a night where they had 1.88 xG to their opponents' 0.14.

However, Pochettino has faith that his attacking endeavours will be rewarded.

"I'm not worried when we don't score. I would worry if we didn't get chances," Pochettino told a news conference ahead of this weekend's game with Saint-Etienne.

"We have talented players, who can score at any time. 

"This week, we emphasised work. We must improve the balance in our play, the defensive transitions, controlling space. 

"With the team we have, there is no doubt in my mind that we'll find that clinical streak."

Although PSG boast a 13-point lead at the top of Ligue 1, they have won just five of their last 10 league games, drawing four and losing one. 

Meanwhile, with defender Sergio Ramos close to resuming training after a calf injury, Pochettino expressed his frustration at the injury woes which have blighted the Real Madrid legend this season, with Ramos making just two Ligue 1 starts since joining the club last summer.

"The person who suffers most from him not being available to play is him," the PSG boss added.

"We are trying to help him. We have great medical staff who are trying to give him the best possible treatment to deal with this type of situation. We're here to give him moral and psychological support. 

"It's always difficult for an injured player. A footballer needs to be part of the competition, of the squad too, on big days. All of that creates cohesion with the squad."

PSG are looking to defend a proud record against Saint-Etienne in their next outing, having won 42 of their 80 Ligue 1 games against them (25 draws and 13 losses). Only against Metz have they won more top-flight matches (43).

The International Olympic Committee has called on international sporting federations to relocate or cancel any events set to take place in Russia or Belarus.

After weeks of rising political tensions, Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine on Thursday, with the conflict escalating further on Friday.

Russia's invasion has been widely condemned by governments, world leaders and sporting bodies.

UEFA has moved this season's Champions League final from St Petersburg to Paris, while Formula One has removed the Russian Grand Prix from its race schedule for this year.

On Thursday, the IOC condemned Russia for breaking the Olympic Truce and on Friday, the governing body urged sporting federations around the world to reconsider the hosting of any events in Russia or neighbouring Belarus, which has helped facilitate the Ukraine invasion.

It has also called for the Belarusian and Russian flags and national anthems not to be displayed or played at any sporting events.

"The IOC EB [executive board] today urges all International sports federations to relocate or cancel their sports events currently planned in Russia or Belarus," a statement read.

"They should take the breach of the Olympic Truce by the Russian and Belarusian governments into account and give the safety and security of the athletes absolute priority. The IOC itself has no events planned in Russia or Belarus.

"In addition, the IOC EB urges that no Russian or Belarusian national flag be displayed and no Russian or Belarussian anthem be played in international sports events which are not already part of the respective World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) sanctions for Russia.

"At the same time, the IOC EB expresses its full support to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) for the upcoming Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

"The IOC EB expresses its deep concerns about the safety of the members of the Olympic Community in Ukraine and stands in full solidarity. It notes that the special IOC task force is in contact with the Olympic Community in the country to coordinate humanitarian assistance where possible."

Christian Eriksen will make his return to football when he is handed his Brentford debut against Newcastle United on Saturday, Bees head coach Thomas Frank has confirmed.

The Denmark international has not featured in a competitive game since collapsing at Euro 2020 in late June against Finland after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Eriksen subsequently underwent an operation to have an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) fitted, which left him unable to feature for former club Inter due to Serie A rulings on playing with such a device.

The midfielder built up his fitness with boyhood club Odense and Ajax's reserve side before penning a six-month contract with Brentford in January.

Eriksen has appeared twice for Brentford's 'B' team, in friendlies against Southend United and Rangers, and Frank has now confirmed that the 30-year-old will feature for the first team against Newcastle.

"Christian will be in the squad and he will get on the pitch tomorrow," Frank said at Friday's pre-match news conference.

"It is a big day for all of us but especially Christian and his family when he walks out onto the pitch. 

"For everyone involved in football who saw what happened, it's another one of those reminders that we are privileged to do what we do and be alive and we need to appreciate every day and every moment."

Eriksen's comeback will provide Brentford with a much-needed boost as the Bees continue to slide towards the relegation zone after failing to win in seven top-flight outings.

Frank's side sit four points above the final relegation spot occupied by Burnley, who have played three games fewer.

Eriksen appeared 226 times in the English top flight for former club Tottenham, where he still holds the record at Spurs for most assists in a single Premier League campaign, recording 15 during the 2016-17 season.

During his spell with the north London club between September 2013 and January 2020, Eriksen scored the most goals from outside the box (23), made the most assists (62) and created the most chances (571) of any player in that time.

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel suggested Liverpool are slight favourites ahead of the EFL Cup final, but says it will be a "pleasure" to face off against his compatriot Jurgen Klopp.

Chelsea are facing the Reds in a major final for the third time in their history - excluding the Community Shield and the UEFA Super Cup - with the Blues winning on both previous occasions, 3-2 in the 2005 EFL Cup final and 2-1 in 2012's FA Cup showpiece. 

But with Liverpool on a run of nine consecutive wins in all competitions and on the hunt for an unprecedented quadruple, Tuchel believes that Klopp's team should be considered slight favourites on Sunday.

"I think maybe 50 to 55 per cent, they are the favourites, because of their recent form and their recent results", the 48-year-old said at Friday's pre-match news conference.

"It's a big challenge, a big occasion, and we feel competitive. It's a pleasure to meet Jurgen in a final at Wembley. We are very grateful for the chance.

"Playing against teams coached by Jurgen is not only about pleasure, because they give you a very hard time!

"But we have things to draw on, we have experienced tight matches against Liverpool, I think the last three were draws. 

"That won't happen this time, there will be a winner somehow, but we know what it takes in a tough match against them, and we feel confident that we have what it takes. 

"It's the same for them, and it's nice to have a match like this in a final."

Sunday's outing will represent Chelsea's ninth final appearance in the competition's history, and the Blues have won the EFL Cup on five occasions, with only Manchester City and Liverpool (both eight) posting more triumphs.

Tuchel was also asked about the condition of striker Romelu Lukaku, who was dropped for Chelsea's 2-0 Champions League victory over Lille, after he managed just seven touches in a 1-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace.

The German boss questioned whether too much focus has been placed on Lukaku in recent weeks, and refused to engage with speculation that he was unsettled.

"I would say [he has been] good, like everybody else," Tuchel responded when asked about the Belgium striker. 

"You know, I know, he's an important player, if you pay a lot of money these days for one single player there's a lot of focus on the player. Sometimes it's not fair, sometimes it's a bit too much.

"I did not read the headlines. This is maybe the best thing to do. I trust my players and their focus.

"What other choice is there? There is no transfer period right now and everybody is hugely involved in the goals that we want to achieve together.

"The truth is we can only achieve them together, and we can only achieve them with a strong Romelu, a strong Jorginho, a strong everybody."

Liverpool's "one club mentality" has been proven by their run to the EFL Cup final, according to Jurgen Klopp's assistant Pep Lijnders.

Reds assistant coach Lijnders has taken all of the pre-match news conferences ahead of EFL Cup games this season and Liverpool saw no reason to break with that tradition ahead of Sunday's clash with Chelsea at Wembley.

It will be the third major final between the sides, with Chelsea winning the previous two meetings – 3-2 in the 2004-05 EFL Cup and 2-1 in the 2011-12 FA Cup.

Liverpool, however, are in the hunt for a record ninth EFL Cup crown, with their last success in the competition coming in 2012 via a penalty shoot-out win over Cardiff City. This is their 13th final in the competition – at least four more than any other side – though their first since 2016, when they lost to Manchester City.

Lijnders believes Liverpool have blended youth and experience perfectly throughout their run to Wembley, and thinks this is a sign the Reds are now a truly elite club.

"We have tradition in both, history in both [cup competitions]," he said.

"This is a competition where we want to bring young talent to showcase, that's really important.

"If you look at the best teams in the world, what do they have in common? It is the one club mentality and this journey in the EFL Cup shows we have exactly that.

"Now we are two days away from a final and we want to go into it with all we have, make it a proper game, we can't wait of course to go to Wembley, see all the fans, hear them, feel them.

"For the whole club it is a big compliment. This competition is so much more than just the first team, it was a proper compliment to our academy as well.

"We have to be spot on but we really look forward to it. We don't want to be the best team in the world, but we want to be the team that is capable of the best teams in the world."

Lijnders has come more into the foreground this season, at least in terms of his media duties, but he emphasised the importance of Klopp's entire backroom team as Liverpool aim to win a third major trophy under the German.

"Jurgen is so much more than a colleague, I am really grateful and happy with the way we work together," Lijnders added.

"It's not just me and him, it's so much more backroom staff who constantly are in our ears to make decisions or put us to the right path. Our togetherness comes from something.

"If you have a group of staff that show leadership it is probably the most powerful tool, we want our team to see how we are and it is important that they see that the manager, assistant manager, the other assistants, all of us are so close. There's a team behind the team and a manager is as good as the team behind the team."

Liverpool, however, will not be changing their routine just because they are playing in a final.

"When we started this project, we came to the conclusion that the way to be successful was just to focus on the next game," Lijnders said.

"Our group created the mentality that each next game was a final, or we could never have reached the levels we reached. We see each game literally as a final so nothing changes. We really see each game as a final, believe me."

It was a sentiment echoed by captain Jordan Henderson, who said: "Nothing different to what I normally do. Yes, it's a cup final, you get everything around that, but you have to treat it as any other game. We'll give everything, hopefully that's enough for us to win the trophy."

Antonio Conte has apologised for his emotional outburst following the defeat to Burnley that left his Tottenham future looking uncertain.

Spurs were beaten 1-0 by Burnley at Turf Moor on Wednesday, their fourth defeat in five league matches.

Conte, who replaced Nuno Espirito Santo in November, was unbeaten in his first nine top-flight matches in charge of Spurs, but that honeymoon period was followed by a frustrating few weeks.

In the wake of the loss to lowly Burnley, Conte suggested Spurs were exhibiting relegation form, that the club needed to make an "assessment about me" and that he was unsure if he was good enough to improve Spurs' fortunes.

But speaking ahead of Saturday's trip to Leeds United, Conte appeared to back-track, his comments seemingly just made in the spur of the moment.

"For sure, when I lose a game I am not the person to go and have a dinner. I think that I am not the right person, when I lose a game my mood is very bad and I prefer to stay alone and live the defeat, to stay alone and metabolise the defeat," he said.

"I need one day to recover, at least. This is me. It is me. I don't like to lose. If you ask me what I hate in life, it is to lose games. My mentality is to prepare myself, to prepare the players and to avoid this type of situation.

"There are many coaches that don't suffer [after a defeat]. I wanted to be a little soft but at the same time to be this way makes me a person that in his career I won as a player and then as a coach.

"For sure, when I lose, if you expect that I am happy or to come to a press conference and laugh, I am not this person.

"I am sorry if I show my disappointment because maybe it would be good to keep this inside and not show my emotion. I am an honest person it is difficult for me to lie or hide the truth and for this reason."

Conte also confirmed that he has since spoken to Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, and it would seem both men are on the same page.

"Yes, I spoke to Daniel Levy. Our chairman knows very well that I'm here to help the club in every moment. I will do that until the end," Conte continued.

"That's the reality and he knows that we're working hard. He has great consideration about our job and the job of my staff.

"I repeat I want to help the club with every aspect. He shows me great consideration every day and for this reason I'm committed for this club much more because I know the consideration for me is very high.

"The club confirmed to me that they know the reality. The club is very happy about my work and what we're doing with my staff, the change that we made in four months in the environment.

"I think the club is appreciating very much what we're doing in this moment. The problem is that I'm a perfectionist. I'm a person that wants to get to a result quickly."

Spurs head into the weekend in eighth, seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester United, who have played two games more.

But bitter rivals Arsenal may well be the club they need to focus on catching, given they are just a point behind United and also have two games in hand on Ralf Rangnick's men – Conte, however, stressed the need to concentrate on the immediate future.

"I'm a realistic person and for now the most important thing is the present and not look forward too much," he said.

"We have to finish this season. We are working very hard and we deserve much more. The players at the club, especially our fans, deserve the best and for us to make them happy.

"It's important to be focused now. We're working well and we've started to go in the right direction despite negative or positive results. Also for the future, there is more clarification. To clean the situation and then to continue to build."

Liverpool will monitor the fitness of Diogo Jota ahead of their EFL Cup final against Chelsea on Sunday, but Reds assistant manager Pep Ljinders confirmed Roberto Firmino is out of contention.

Jota and Firmino suffered knocks against Inter in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash on February 16, and subsequently missed Premier League wins over Norwich City and Leeds United.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp conceded that the pair were both doubts for the final before the Leeds' game, in which fellow attackers Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane netted two goals each.

Ljinders provided another update on the duo on Friday as he offered faint hope that Jota could play some part against Thomas Tuchel's men.

"Bobby [Firmino] we will have to see in the next two days, he's pushing himself really hard, but he will not be available for the final, to reach the squad," Ljinders said.
 
"We hope he will be back really soon because you all see and feel how important he is for our way of playing. [We are] happy that he's pushing himself, hopefully he's soon back.
 
"Jota, there has been so far no reaction on the things he did – the straight-line running, the little ball work he did, so that's a good sign. He isn't ruled out but it will still be a challenge."

The Reds will be hoping Jota can beat the clock to feature, given he could become only the second ever Liverpool player to score in each of the quarter-final, semi-final and final of the competition in a single season (replays included), after Kenny Dalglish in 1980-81.

Nevertheless, Klopp's side will be left in capable hands even without Jota, with new boy Luis Diaz, Salah and Mane to call upon in the frontline.

Mane has scored eight goals against Chelsea in all competitions, only netting more in his career in England against Crystal Palace (13), while Salah leads the Premier League scoring charts with 19 this term.

The Senegal international, however, is yet to score an EFL Cup goal for the Reds in three previous appearances for them in the competition, the most recent of which was against Chelsea in the 2018-19 third round.