Massive win for Liverpool as star RETURNS for Carabao Cup final

Liverpool face Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday. The Reds have received a major boost ahead of it, too.

Liverpool will attempt to secure their first trophy of the Arne Slot era this weekend as they face Newcastle United at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final. The Reds are huge favourites at this stage.

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They'd be favourites anyway, of course, but Newcastle are missing a few players for this one. Lewis Hall is out at left-back, while Anthony Gordon is suspended for it.

Essentially, their first-choice left flank is missing. Liverpool don't really have any excuses but to win this one.

Not that Slot's squad is flawless. Trent Alexander-Arnold, for instance, will miss the final.

He went off injured against Paris Saint-Germain and will not return for Sunday. It could well be a while before we see him again, in fact - if at all.

There are other concerns, too. Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez have both been missing for a little while now. That should mean Jarell Quansah starts at right-back but things aren't that simple.

Ibrahima Konate also went off against PSG and without Gomez, Quansah is also in line to fill-in at centre-back. But it appears Slot has gotten a little reprieve there.

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Ibrahima Konate is back

Konate has returned to training on Friday and is in line to face Newcastle. Now, it's unclear just yet whether he's fit enough to start the final but Slot will be able to make that decision, at least.

The alternative here was Wataru Endo at centre-back and Quansah at right-back. It's a setup that just about works but is far from ideal when you're up against Alexander Isak, arguably the most in-form forward in the country.

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So we'll cross our fingers that Konate is ready to start. Having him lineup alongside Virgil van Dijk would leave Liverpool as secure as they really can be against Isak and co. - throw in Newcastle's own defensive problems and suddenly the Reds are overwhelming favourites to take home the trophy.

However, we all saw last year how that doesn't necessarily work out. Chelsea should have been favourites to beat a severely weakened Liverpool team but failed to do so as the Reds delivered Jurgen Klopp's final silverware.

But maybe that can be all Liverpool need in order to avoid complacency here. Konate's availability puts them in an incredibly strong position.

Now they've just got to get the job done.

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