Chelsea Unveil 20 Man Squad to Face Liverpool, Pochettino Set to Miss 3 Key Players

• Mauricio Pochettino will kickstart his Chelsea tenure with an acid test against Liverpool on August 13
• Pochettino has enjoyed a peaceful start despite the club failing to land Moises Caicedo yet
• Kepa Arrizabalaga has been omitted from the squad, with the goalkeeper set to move to Real Madrid

Mauricio Pochettino will call on a group of 20 players as he begins his reign as Chelsea manager later today(Sunday, August 13) when Liverpool come visiting at Stamford Bridge.

Pochettino has had a smooth start to his start in West London, with Chelsea not dropping a single point in their preseason games.

He will, however, face a different adversary against Liverpool as both sides look to begin on a positive note after lacklustre campaigns last time out. Chelsea finished in 12th place, while the Reds finished in fifth place, missing out on Champions League places.

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Pochettino's summer has been rocked by a couple of players leaving the club. Only Christopher Nkunku, Robert Sanchez and Nicolas Jackson have been roped in to fill the gaps, with Nkunku, unfortunately, ruled out already for at least four months with a knee injury.

The Frenchman will therefore be unavailable for the Liverpool showdown alongside the first-choice goalkeeper as of August 11, Kepa Arrizabalaga, as first reported by Football London.

Arrizabalaga to join Real Madrid

The Spanish custodian is said to have agreed on a loan move to Real Madrid following the long-term injury to Thibaut Courtois, as reported by transfer specialists Fabrizio Romano.

New signing Robert Sanchez is expected to be Pochettino's new number one. Noni Madueke is also expected to stay out as he continues to work his way to full fitness.

With Moises Caicedo's deal from Brighton and Hove Albion still stalling, it will be interesting to see who Pochettino chooses to partner record signing Enzo Fernandez in the middle of the pack. Andrey Santos is the likeliest candidate.

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It will also be Reece James' first competitive game as official club captain.

Chelsea's full squad to face Liverpool

Goalkeepers: Robert Sanchez, Lucas Bergstrom, Jamie Cummings

Defenders: Malo Gusto, Reece James, Thiago Silva, Axel Disasi, Levi Colwill, Ben Chilwell, Marc Cucurella, Ian Maatsen, Alfie Gilchrist

Midfielders: Conor Gallagher, Enzo Fernandez, Andrey Santos, Lesley Ugochukwu, Carney Chukwuemeka

Forwards: Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk, Nicolas Jackson

Chelsea squad numbers 2023/2024

Sports Brief has previously reported that Chelsea's squad numbers for next season have been confirmed ahead of the new 2023/24 campaign.

Several shirt numbers had been vacated following the mass exodus witnessed at Stamford Bridge so far this summer. As many as 25 players quit the club as Mauricio Pochettino embarked on a squad overhaul to kickstart his reign at the West London club.

Mateo Kovacic, Cesar Azpilicueta, Mason Mount, and Kai Havertz headline the long list of senior players who have departed the club.