Chelsea handed new double injury concern ahead of Carabao Cup final against Liverpool after hammer blow

Chelsea could be without two of their key defenders for the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool.

The Premier League rivals will meet at Wembley on Sunday 25 February in what will be a repeat of the showpiece form two years ago which the Reds won on penalties.

Liverpool are enjoying a fine season as they top the table by two points. They'll be looking to get their hands on the first piece of silverware up for grabs in Jurgen Klopp's final season as manager.

Chelsea, on the other hand, have struggled once again despite spending more than £400 million on new players for head coach Mauricio Pochettino last summer. The Stamford Bridge outfit had to battle from behind to earn a 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace last night, which moved them to 10th in the table.

The Carabao Cup can offer Chelsea's campaign some salvation, although injury issues are mounting. Benoit Badiashile has already been ruled out of the Wembley showdown with a groin injury, with the centre-back set to be sidelined for a month.

And against Palace, fellow central defender Thiago Silva was forced off with a similar issue. The veteran 39-year-old is set to be assessed at the club's Cobham training ground today. Malo Gusto was also withdrawn early in the Palace triumph but Pochettino allayed fears.

The Chelsea boss said: "We need to assess Thiago Silva tomorrow because he felt something in his groin. Malo, I think, was tired, but it's not going to be a big problem to be ready at the weekend."