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Liverpool head into Sunday’s Carabao Cup final with Newcastle as clear favourites.

Anyone underestimating Eddie Howe’s team may be in for a surprise, but with the Reds sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League, they are the better of the two teams.

As well as the difference in quality between the sides, injuries and suspension have also had a bearing on the pre-match narrative.

Although Liverpool do have some injury troubles, Newcastle have been hit harder.

Lewis Hall, Anthony Gordon and Sven Botman will all miss the game.

Hall’s injury is set to have a knock-on impact, with Howe preparing to move Tino Livramento to left-back and bring Kieran Trippier in at right-back.

Liverpool may try to target the veteran Trippier and with Luis Diaz struggling at the moment, the return to fitness of Cody Gakpo is a major boost for Arne Slot.

And judging by footage released of Friday’s training session, Gakpo is right in the groove.



Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

The injury Gakpo picked up against Everton in February came at a bad time for the Dutchman.

He was just beginning to really make the left-sided attacking spot his own.

After missing the games against PSG and Southampton, Gakpo returned on Tuesday but looked nothing like his former self in the Champions League.

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Slot would probably have been wiser turning to Federico Chiesa, with Gakpo clearly not ready for the intensity PSG brought to Anfield.

That underwhelming cameo had suggested that the 25-year-old would not be ready for Sunday and the Carabao Cup final.

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However, with the latest instalment of Inside Training uploaded on Friday, it looks as though Gakpo has regained some lost sharpness.

Towards the end of the video, the No.18 can be seen making the most of shooting practice, firing a number of efforts past third choice goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros.

While he was tentative and unable to get into the game against PSG, Gakpo looks sharp and precise at the Liverpool training ground.

Given that Slot only trusted Gakpo to play the final 18 minutes of extra-time against PSG, it seems unlikely that he will believe his countryman to be fit for a final at Wembley.

However, Diaz has flattered to deceive to the degree that if Gakpo is deemed match fit, it would not be a huge surprise to see him thrown in to start.

At the very least, this footage would suggest that the former PSV captain is ready to make much more of an impact from the bench than he did on Tuesday.

Gakpo has been the main man in the Carabao Cup for Liverpool over the past two seasons.

He came close to scoring during last season’s final but was denied by the post.

Either way, Gakpo’s return to fitness is certainly a big boost for Liverpool ahead of Sunday.


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