Chelsea - Xabi Alonso, Head Coach of Real Madrid CF is seen during the ceremony prior to the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid CF and Sevilla FC at the Santiago Bernabàu.. Final Score; Real Madrid CF 2-0 Sevilla FC Madrid Spain - ZUMAs197 20251220_aaa_s197_534 Copyright: xGokhanxTanerx
Chelsea - Xabi Alonso, Head Coach of Real Madrid CF is seen during the ceremony prior to the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid CF and Sevilla FC at the Santiago Bernabàu.. Final Score; Real Madrid CF 2-0 Sevilla FC Madrid Spain - ZUMAs197 20251220_aaa_s197_534 Copyright: xGokhanxTanerx
Liverpool beat Chelsea 6-5 on penalties at Anfield on Wednesday to reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals. The fourth-round tie finished 1-1 after 90 minutes, and no extra time was played.
Morgan Rogers put Chelsea ahead from the spot in the 38th minute after Ryan Gravenberch fouled Moises Caicedo. Cody Gakpo levelled from the spot three minutes later, after Wesley Fofana handled at a corner.
Neither side scored again in open play. Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili made several saves in the second half to keep the scores level.
Joe Gomez converted Liverpool’s winning penalty, and Fofana then sent his kick over the bar and into the Kop. Liverpool will host Bournemouth in the last eight, with ties scheduled for the week beginning 14 December.
The two clubs meet in the Premier League before that. Chelsea host Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Saturday 5 December, with a 12.30pm GMT kick-off, in matchweek 14.
Their last league meeting ended 1-1 at Anfield on 9 May 2026.
Chelsea travelled to Anfield without Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens and Reece James, and Cole Palmer was suspended.
They then lost Maxence Lacroix in first-half stoppage time with an apparent hamstring problem, and Levi Colwill replaced him.
French journalist Fabrice Hawkins has reported that medical examinations confirmed a hamstring tear. He says the France international is expected to be out for several weeks.
According to Hawkins, Lacroix will miss Chelsea’s league game against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday 31 October. He has also been ruled out of France’s November international camp.
Hawkins adds that Lacroix’s return before the end of the year is uncertain.
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso said after the Liverpool defeat: “Probably he felt something on the hamstrings.” He added that the club needed a couple of days to establish the extent of the injury.
Ahead of the visit of Manchester United on Saturday, Alonso confirmed the issue and gave a timeline for Lacroix’s return.
“Max, he picked up an injury, and we expect that he’s not going to be ready before the international break. So he will be a few weeks out.”
Chelsea signed Lacroix from Crystal Palace on 30 July 2026 for a reported £52 million, on a contract until 2032. He made three appearances for France at the World Cup, where they finished fourth.
He has been a regular in Chelsea’s defence since arriving. Chelsea had not confirmed a timeline for his recovery at the time of writing.
Support DaveOCKOP and enjoy the site completely ad-free. You’ll get an uninterrupted browsing experience while helping us continue to deliver the latest Liverpool news, breaking stories and exclusives. Go ad-free today.
Athletic Club v Real Madrid CF - LaLiga EA Sports Trent Alexander-Arnold right-back of Real Madrid and England during the La Liga EA Sports match between Athletic Club and Real Madrid CF at Estadio de San Mames on December 3, 2025 in Bilbao, Spain. Bilbao Basque Country Spain PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xJosexBretonx originalFilename:bretonhernandez-athletic251203_npFKJ.jpg