Liverpool Handed Major Boost as £375k-a-Week Chelsea Duo Ruled Out

Liverpool have been handed a significant boost ahead of their Premier League clash against Chelsea after the international break, with Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana suspended.

The Reds are currently top of the league standings after seven games, with just one defeat all season. That came in the form of a loss at home to Nottingham Forest in September, but they have won their remaining six games.

Arne Slot’s side secured a narrow 1-0 victory away at Crystal Palace on Saturday to go into the international break on a strong note. When they return, they will host Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea at Anfield on October 20.

Liverpool Handed Major Boost

Chelsea will be without two key players

Ahead of the meeting later this month, Liverpool have been handed a major boost. Chelsea drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest in their last game before the break, but both Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana, who earn a combined £375k-a-week, picked up bookings in the process.

According to journalist Simon Johnson, speaking on social media platform X, the pair have now picked up five yellow cards each already this season. This means they will miss the trip to Liverpool through suspension, and Maresca will have to shuffle his trusted backline for an important game.

To put that into context, five of Liverpool’s players currently sit on two yellow cards after seven league games. That includes Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ibrahima Konate. A further four players have just one yellow card to their name, including Virgil van Dijk and Diogo Jota.

Liverpool faced Chelsea three times last season, twice in the league and once in the Carabao Cup final back in February. The Reds won two of those games, and drew the away fixture at Stamford Bridge. The Merseyside club haven’t lost to Chelsea since the 1-0 defeat at Anfield in the 2020/21 season.

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Mo Salah is out of contract at the end of the season

In other news, Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah is reportedly holding out for a ‘mega money’ deal with his contract set to expire at the end of the season. The Egyptian has been the subject of interest from Saudi Arabia in recent years, but it appears Salah is not yet ready to end his Anfield career.

According to Football Insider, Salah is holding out for a massive two-year deal before committing his future to the club. He last signed an extension in the summer of 2022 to become Liverpool’s highest paid player in history.

The winger continues to set records, and is showing no signs of slowing down in a Liverpool shirt. Under new head coach Arne Slot, Salah has already scored six and assisted five in 10 appearances across all competitions this season.

In terms of Liverpool’s ability to hand Salah the contract he wants, the club’s hierarchy also has the small matter of extensions for captain Virgil van Dijk, and vice captain Trent Alexander-Arnold, to resolve before their respective contracts expire at the end of the current season.

All stats courtesy of transfermarkt (correct as of 06/10/24)