Mauricio Pochettino says 39-year-old has returned to training and could now play against Liverpool at Wembley

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino says Thiago Silva has a chance to be involved in the League Cup final after he returned to training this week. The 39-year-old defender missed the game against Manchester City after being forced off at Crystal Palace. 

Despite his age, the Brazilian's experience is one Pochettino counts on, especially in tough games to glue a young team that will have only two players who have played in a final for Chelsea at Wembley this weekend. 

Asked what Silva's chances of returning ahead of the final the Chelsea boss said he was training and could be involved: He told reporters: "I think we need to assess to see whether they can be involved on Sunday. Yes, I will communicate tomorrow if we recover players from training. Yes, he [Thiago Silva] has the chance. Tomorrow, we will see." 

Chelsea have lost their last five finals at Wembley but Liverpool are missing players and the nature of Cup competition is that everyone has a chance. Pochettino is waiting for his first trophy on English soil and Liverpool will attempt to win it for a proper send-off to manager Jurgen Klopp who is leaving at the end of the season.

Both teams met recently with Liverpool running out 4-1 winners but Pochettino says the final will be a different game altogether. He added: "It's true this is different. It's never the same approach playing in the Premier League and in the final.

"You always learn from the games you play, too many things. Of course, we arrive in this game with different circumstances and it is difficult to compare and say that it will influence the games that we played in the past."