Devastating Liverpool injury news is huge boost for Chelsea, Brentford and Luton Town

Liverpool will be without versatile full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold for next weekend's Carabao Cup final against Chelsea due to a knee injury.

The 25-year-old creative tour-de-force has suffered with a knee niggle previously this season and appeared to aggravate the problem against Burnley last weekend. Alexander-Arnold played just 45 minutes in the Premier League match and has had a series of scans this week, which have resulted in the player needing a period of recovery.

The timescale for Alexander-Arnold's recovery is not fully known but the Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium against Chelsea at the end of the month will come too soon - although he is expected to be fit before the end of the season and Euro 2024 this summer. It is hoped he could be in action for the visit of Manchester City to Anfield on March 10.

Before the Carabao Cup final, Liverpool face a trip to Brentford on Saturday and a clash with resurgent Luton Town at Anfield midweek. With Manchester City and Arsenal applying the pressure, Jurgen Klopp will know his side can ill afford slip-ups in those fixtures but must make do without a star who has been a linchpin in the side in recent years.

In Alexander-Arnold's absence, the Reds manager can turn to Joe Gomez or Northern Ireland youngster Conor Bradley, with the latter now back in training after compassionate leave. Liverpool will be boosted by the return of Mohamed Salah, who has returned to training after a hamstring issue picked up at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Speaking last weekend, Klopp had hoped that Alexander-Arnold's issue would not be serious. He said: “Same area in the knee. Nothing really bad, but he felt it again and we have to see, we have to assess it. Trent said it’s fine, but it’s not fine (because) he feels it, so we had to be careful and take him off.”