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Klopp 'desperate' for FA Cup success

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13th May, 2022
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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is looking to break the club’s FA Cup drought in Saturday’s final against Chelsea as they near the end of a marathon season.

The Merseyside club have reached the final for the first time under Klopp, who took over in 2015, and are chasing an unprecedented quadruple.

They have already won the League Cup in February, when they beat Chelsea 11-10 on penalties at Wembley.

It is the first time that the same teams have met in both domestic finals since Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday in 1993.

Liverpool are seven-times FA Cup winners but have not lifted the trophy since 2006, when they beat West Ham.

Under Klopp, they had not progressed beyond the fifth round – until this season. “It was never that we didn’t want to go to the final, we just didn’t have the power to do it,” he said. 

“We didn’t have the squad to go for (all the trophies).

“It’s our first FA Cup final and we are really, really desperate to win it, but we know our opponents are as well.

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“They are cup specialists … We didn’t ‘beat’ Chelsea. We won the shootout,” he added. “I’ve said a few times that without luck you have no chance and luck was on our side that day.”

Defensive midfielder Fabinho will miss Liverpool’s 60th match of the season, but Klopp said the Brazilian will be fit for the Champions League final against Real Madrid.

Chelsea midfielders Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Kante could both feature, though, after manager Thomas Tuchel said this was the time of the season to take risks.

Kovacic was on the receiving end of a reckless tackle from Leeds United winger Dan James, who was shown a straight red card in Wednesday’s 3-0 Premier League win at Elland Road.

Tuchel said Kovacic had not picked up a new ankle injury but was in  pain. “Mateo wants to try it,” Tuchel said. “The medical department gave the green light to try it.

“The advantage is that the ligament is anyway torn from the last incident, so there is no new injury but there is heavy pain and it (the ankle) was heavily swollen.

“We are hoping that maybe time is enough that he makes it, but we will try in training and know more about it.”

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Of Kante, Tuchel said: “He is also trying. He tried yesterday in team training and trained more or less everything.

“He is keen to make it (to the game) and hopefully he makes it to training 100 per cent so that we can plan with him for tomorrow.

“It will be crucial for us and it’s the moment to take risks.”

Tuchel added: “You have to be spot on in these matches. They are such close matches lately, it will be down to margins and details. We are facing one of the very best coaches and teams in the world. We are up for the fight.” 

© AAP

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