Newcastle United and Liverpool will face off at Wembley Stadium on March 16th in a match for the first trophy in English football this season, therefore the clock is ticking. With Liverpool hoping to defend the championship they won during Jurgen Klopp’s final season and Newcastle hoping to end a trophy drought that dates back to 1955, the Carabao Cup final is sure to be an incredible event.
After their daring 1-0 smash-and-grab victory against PSG in the Champions League Round of 16, Arne Slot’s team is in scorching form as they go towards the home of football, with the Premier League title presumably in the bag and hopes of a treble still alive. However, Newcastle has faced numerous challenges on the way to Wembley. Their recent setbacks, which include league losses to Manchester City and Liverpool as well as an FA Cup exit at the hands of Brighton, make their mid-season form seem like a thing of the past as it quickly runs out of steam. Their impressive semi-final victory over Arsenal demonstrated their pedigree.
Eddie Howe’s plans have been further derailed by injuries and suspensions, so the Magpies need to put up a valiant show to upend the status quo. However, the script is often torn apart by cup finals. When the stakes are this high, form, prior performance, and expectations frequently don’t matter much. Nothing could be more appropriate than the old saying, “it’s all about what happens on the day.” In light of this, we have compiled our anticipated lineups ahead of the much awaited matchup by taking a preliminary look at the team news.
Newcastle United Predicted Lineup & Team News
Anthony Gordon and Lewis Hall are among those ruled out
As their team keeps falling apart like a set of dominoes, Newcastle United has hardly had time to regroup in recent days. Anthony Gordon suffered the most recent setback on Sunday when he lost to Brighton in the FA Cup, both literally and figuratively. He was given a three-match domestic suspension, which will prevent him from playing in the Wembley final. It will be difficult for Newcastle to function without the former Everton winger, who has been a vital link between midfield and attack.
Lewis Hall, who has contributed four Premier League assists this season, has been sidelined for the rest of the season, which is an insult to injury. His foot injury would necessitate surgery, the club revealed, adding to Eddie Howe’s already thin roster. Centre-back Sven Botman has also been diagnosed with a knee problem that will need similar treatment, completing an unwelcome trio of setbacks.
Newcastle Suspensions and Injuries
The player
Damage
Possible Date of Return
Lascelles, Jamaal
Injury to the Crucial Ligaments
March 31, 2025
Lewis Hall
Surgery on the Ankle
Seasonal conclusion
Botman, Sven
Knee Surgery
Seasonal conclusion
Lewis, Jamal
Ankle Damage
Not sure
Gordon, Anthony
The suspension
July 4, 2025
The return of Alexander Isak, who hobbled off during the FA Cup loss to Brighton after missing the previous league match, is the Magpies’ last hope. The Swedish striker, who was seen in training in the middle of the week, immediately reassured supporters with the three words, “I am fine,” though. Isak continues to be Newcastle’s most dangerous threat and Liverpool’s top worry, having already scored 19 goals and provided five assists in the league this season.
Howe’s work is made both easier and more difficult by the absence of three important players for the final. His best available XI almost picks itself, but he won’t have the luxury of rotating choices. The creative spark from the flanks will likely come from Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes, while Newcastle’s midfield trio of Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, and Joelinton is still as strong as ever. Tino Livramento will have to step up to cover Hall’s absence in the interim. Below is the anticipated lineup:
Pope; Trippier, Shar, Burn, Livramento; Joelinton, Guimaraes, Tonali; Murphy, Isak, Barnes are the players Newcastle United anticipated to start.
Dubravka (GK), Targett (DEF), Krafth (DEF), Willock (MID), Miley (MID), Longstaff (MID), Osula (ATT), and Wilson (ATT) are Newcastle United’s anticipated replacements.
Liverpool Predicted Lineup & Team News
Arne Slot is blessed with a selection headache
This season, Liverpool has been labelled the luckiest team in England, and many rival supporters attribute their continued success to their comparatively clean health. Only Joe Gomez, Tyler Morton, and Conor Bradley—none of whom Arne Slot considers a regular starter—are now doubtful for the League Cup final.
Liverpool has the unique advantage of having a lineup that is almost at full strength, whereas Newcastle must rebuild their team and continue. Any manager would be happy to have to choose between Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez, and Cody Gakpo to join Mohamed Salah in the attack, which is Slot’s biggest selection conundrum rather than covering injuries. Gakpo recently raised eyebrows after suffering an injury prior to Liverpool’s match against PSG, but it appears his setback is much less concerning than first thought given Slot’s admission that the team will “have to make a late call” over his fitness.
Newcastle Suspensions and Injuries
The player
Damage
Possible Date of Return
Gomez, Joe
Injury to the Hamstrings
March 5, 2025
Morton, Tyler
Surgery on the Shoulders
Not sure
Bradley Conor
Surgery for Muscles
Not sure
Gakpo Cody
Ankle Damage
Anticipated shortly
Therefore, Gakpo will almost certainly start if he is in the running for the final. With 38 appearances across all competitions, the Dutchman—who has been used more frequently on the left flank under his new manager—has been the Reds’ second-most productive talisman after Salah, tallying 16 goals and dishing out five assists.
Diaz is still the first pick to lead the line even though he hasn’t been on the scoresheet much in recent weeks. Additionally, it raises doubts about the goalkeeping situation because midfield and defence are the two sections of the play that are simplest to call. The ‘cup goalie’ this season has been Caoimhin Kelleher, so it wouldn’t be shocking if Slot chose to keep Kelleher for the championship game in order to celebrate him in a competition in which he has frequently been the hero, having won it in 2022 and 2024.
Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Konate, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Diaz, and Gakpo are the players Liverpool’s expected starting lineup.
The following are the anticipated replacements for Liverpool: Endo (MID), Elliott (MID), Jones (MID), Jota (ATT), Nunez (ATT), Tsimikas (DEF), Bradley (DEF), Quansah (DEF), and Alisson (GK).
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