Chelsea vs. Liverpool lineups, expected starting 11, confirmed team news, injuries: Champions face Blues as UCL race hots up

New Premier League champions Liverpool head to Chelsea on Sunday for the first game of their end-of-season celebratory tour.

The Reds were confirmed as league winners last weekend thanks to their 5-1 thrashing of Tottenham, and with no cup competitions to play for, these final weeks will be about giving their supporters further reason to cheer.

For Chelsea, things are very much still on the line. They are firmly in the battle for a UEFA Champions League place, and they play this fixture in between the two legs of their UEFA Conference League semifinal tie with Djurgarden. The Blues won 4-1 in Stockholm on Thursday, so their passage to the final seems secure.

Chelsea will be expected to give Liverpool's players a guard of honour to commemorate their 20th English league title win, but things are likely to be far less cordial on the pitch as Enzo Maresca's side look to keep up their push for a top-five finish.

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Chelsea vs. Liverpool lineups, predicted starting 11, team news

Maresca made wholesale changes for the Conference League match in Sweden and will revert to his strongest lineup here, especially given they now hold a comfortable aggregate lead in that European tie ahead of next Thursday's second leg.

Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Trevoh Chalobah, Levi Colwill and Moises Caicedo should all return to the lineup, along with Malo Gusto — assuming he is fully fit — and Pedro Neto.

Wesley Fofana and Omari Kellyman will not play again until next season, while Mykhailo Mudryk remains suspended after failing a doping test.

Chelsea predicted lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): Sanchez (GK) — Gusto, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella — Fernandez, Caicedo — Madueke, Palmer, Neto — Jackson

Injured: Fofana (thigh), Kellyman (thigh)
Suspended: Mudryk (doping violation)

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Liverpool begin their celebratory schedule with a largely clean bill of health, although Joe Gomez is not expected back for another couple of weeks.

Conor Bradley could return from a knock if Slot wishes to make a change at right-back amid the continued uncertainty around Trent Alexander-Arnold's future.

Many Reds fans are hoping to see a guard of honour from the Chelsea players and staff before kickoff, particularly given Mohamed Salah's struggles in his short time at Stamford Bridge are now nothing but a distant memory.

Liverpool predicted lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): Alisson (GK) — Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson — Gravenberch, Mac Allister — Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo — Diaz

Injured: Gomez (thigh), Bradley (knock, doubt)
Suspended: None

Chelsea vs. Liverpool live stream, TV channel

Here's how to watch this Premier League match across selected areas of the world's major regions: