Chelsea could yet welcome back Thiago Silva in time for Sunday’s Carabao Cup final showdown with Liverpool.

The Brazilian defender missed last week’s 1-1 Premier League draw with Manchester City after suffering a groin injury in the second half of the 3-1 away win over Crystal Palace.

Chelsea are expected to have at least seven players sidelined for this weekend’s trip to Wembley, with the likes of captain Reece James, Benoit Badiashile, Romeo Lavia, Marc Cucurella, Lesley Ugochukwu, Carney Chukwuemeka and Wesley Fofana all out injured.

However, Blues head coach Mauricio Pochettino has now confirmed that veteran centre-back Silva could still prove his fitness in time to feature.

"I think we need to assess the players to see if they can be involved on Sunday,” Pochettino told reporters at his pre-match press conference on Friday. “Yes, I will communicate tomorrow if we have recovered some players from injuries.”

On Silva specifically, Pochettino said: “He has the chance [to play]. Tomorrow, we will see if he's ready to play in the game.”

Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez has now returned to full fitness after a knee injury that had kept him out since early December, but he still missed the draw with City at the Etihad Stadium due to a personal issue.

The Spaniard is back in contention to face Liverpool, with Pochettino revealing that he has made his decision over who will start in goal at Wembley and will communicate his chosen lineup to the players over the weekend.

Serbian deputy Djordje Petrovic - supported by third-choice option Marcus Bettinelli - has impressed while filling in for first-choice stopper Sanchez over recent months and could retain his starting berth on Sunday.

“Yes, [I have decided] who is in goal and 99 per cent of my team is in my head,” Pochettino said. “No, [I haven’t told them] anything can happen and I prefer to tell them tomorrow or after tomorrow.”