Chelsea star leaves UK days ahead of Liverpool clash

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Liverpool’s charge for Champions League football continues this weekend with a blockbuster Anfield meeting against Chelsea. Image Credits: Imago ImagesLiverpool’s charge for Champions League football continues this weekend with a blockbuster Anfield meeting against a Chelsea side in absolute disarray.The London club arrives on Merseyside on the back of six straight Premier League defeats, their worst run in 33 years, and under interim boss Calum McFarlane after yet another change in the dugout.Confidence is fragile, the dressing room has been questioned, and senior players have publicly admitted the squad must shoulder responsibility for the chaos that led to Liam Rosenior’s dismissal earlier in the campaign.

For Liverpool, it is the kind of opponent that, on paper, looks there for the taking.Chelsea’s problems are not just tactical or psychological; they are physical as well. One of the biggest blows has been the loss of teenage sensation Estevao Willian.He suffered a serious hamstring injury in the 1–0 defeat to Manchester United on April 18, leaving the pitch in tears and immediately sparking fears over both the run‑in and his World Cup dream with Brazil.Scans confirmed a grade‑four hamstring injury which has ruled Estevao out for the remainder of Chelsea’s season, removing any possibility of him being involved at Anfield this weekend.Rather than stay in London, the winger has travelled back to Brazil to continue his rehabilitation at former club Palmeiras according to Globo, using their facilities in São Paulo in a setup agreed between Chelsea and the player’s camp.

Chelsea have reportedly dispatched a specialist to oversee the programme on site.For Chelsea and for this weekend’s clash, the equation is simple: Estevao will not feature against Liverpool, and one of the Blues’ few genuine game‑changers is now thousands of miles away, fighting a race against time rather than a high line at Anfield. It is one more major problem for McFarlane’s side to solve – and one less thing for Liverpool’s defenders to worry about.Meanwhile, Pedro Neto, Alejandro Garnacho, and Robert Sanchez are all doubts for this Saturday’s clash.