Chelsea v Liverpool ultimate preview

Antonio Conte’s unbeaten start to his Chelsea tenure will face its biggest test when Liverpool visit, live on Friday Night Football.

Last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Swansea is the only blip for a much-improved Chelsea, who have taken ten points from four games and are back in their familiar spot in the top four after last season’s mid-table slump.

John Terry is out injured so David Luiz is ready to fill in and make a second club debut after his Deadline Day move from Paris Saint-Germain.

The Friday Night Football game – live on Sky Sports 1 – will also see two of the most vibrant Premier League managers meet, with Jurgen Klopp full of praise for his opposite number ahead of the game.

“He is a great manager, something like the ‘Pep Guardiola of Juventus’ if you want,” Klopp said. “He looks quite emotional, even when they don’t score.

“They were champions two years ago and then had a difficult year and they changed their manager,” he added.

“Last season was not a Chelsea season and now they are back on track, so we need to be ready for a real challenge.”

Team news

Chelsea are missing Terry with an ankle injury, with the skipper joining fellow centre-back Kurt Zouma on the sidelines. Zouma is a long-term absentee with a knee ligament problem. Squad player Marco van Ginkel is the only other injury concern for the Blues.

Liverpool also have concerns over the fitness of a central defender, although Dejan Lovren is expected to be ready to play after bruising his eye in the win over Leicester. Emre Can is struggling to recover from an ankle injury in time, while Joe Gomez remains out but is inching closer to a return to training.

How to watch

This game is the second Friday Night Football of the season on Sky Sports. Tune in from 6.30pm on Sky Sports 1 as Jeff Stelling and Rachel Riley bring you pre-match build-up in the company of Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Graeme Souness.

You’ll see big-name interviews before the match as Thierry Henry chats to Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, Jamie Carragher meets Liverpool’s Sadio Mane, Tubes hangs out with Gary Cahill and Geoff …

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