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Liverpool’s European aspirations were dashed on Tuesday night, but the sting has been amplified by the injury concerns and general fatigue of Arne Slot’s side.

Following a grueling 120 minutes of intense football, Trent Alexander-Arnold is likely to miss the match, and there are also concerns about Ibrahima Konate’s fitness.

Conor Bradley remains sidelined with a muscle injury while Joe Gomez recovers from his own hamstring injury.

What should be a showcase event between two Premier League heavyweights has instead become a test of squad depth, with key players missing for both sides ahead of the showpiece final.

Arne Slot’s full squad will have to get them over the line with the club hunting for trophy number 70 and their 11th League Cup.

Recent encounters between the sides suggest Liverpool hold the advantage, having defeated Newcastle 2-0 in their most recent Premier League meeting.

However, a thrilling 3-3 draw at St.

James’ Park in December demonstrated Newcastle’s ability to trouble Liverpool’s defense.

And speaking to liverpoolfc.com to preview the clash, Dominik Szoboszlai has explained that the objective needs to be the same no matter who the starting XI is on the day:

“We are ready to fight,” said the No.8.

“You never know who is going to play, but it doesn’t matter on our side who is playing in midfield – everybody is ready to fight and everybody is ready to give everything for the team.

“It’s a final, so you go in a different way into the game.

But as I said, it doesn’t matter who is playing.

The Hungarian then revealed that he is aware that for the likes of Harvey Elliott, Federico Chiesa, Wataru Endo, and accepted that it’s not easy for some of the squad to stay 100% motivated and team-orientated:

“The most important [thing] is that everybody’s goal is the same.

I know it’s always easy to say if you’re playing to the guys who are not playing so much, ‘Yeah, just focus on the team because the team is the most important’, that’s true,” Szoboszlai acknowledged.

“But I have been in the situation also and it’s not the easiest way, but you have to keep going, you have to handle it, your time will come.

“Things change really quickly.

That’s the most important [thing].

“Hopefully that can make us special, that we have the whole squad, the 25 players.”

Read More: Arne Slot makes decision on starting goalkeeper for Carabao Cup final

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