Xabi Alonso has put his players through their paces ahead of Chelsea's clash against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup fourth round.

Xabi Alonso has finalised preparations at Cobham Training Ground ahead of Chelsea's clash against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup fourth round.

The Blues have had plenty of work to do following a disappointing defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening, so they'll be determined to return to winning ways at Anfield on Wednesday night. Over the last couple of days, the likes of Estevao Willian have had the chance to stake a claim for a place in the starting lineup, with Cole Palmer suspended.

Otherwise, it remains to be seen whether or not the Chelsea manager makes wholesale changes. Although Alonso will be desperate to mark his debut season with a piece of silverware, he may recognise the value in rotating his side, in anticipation of a potentially season-defining clash.

On Saturday afternoon, the Blues will face Manchester United. Once Chelsea have played Andoni Iraola's side, they will have just two days to return to the training base in Surrey, recharge their batteries, and prepare to face the Red Devils.

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The Blues fell to fifth in the Premier League after losing to the Lilywhites, conceding significant ground in the race for Champions League qualification; if results across the country don't go their way, they could fall even further down the table.

Equally, though, the Carabao Cup offers a route into Europe, so Alonso may well throw the kitchen sink at Liverpool. Only time will tell...

So, with that being said, football.london has looked at five things you may have missed in training this week.

Alonso works closely with Caicedo and Henderson

During a particular drill, Alonso was spotted deep in conversation with Moises Caicedo and Jordan Henderson. Chelsea struggled to play through the press when they faced Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend, and whether it was a tactical decision or a technical issue, they often resorted to just playing long balls into the channels.

The Blues surrendered control of the game and deservedly lost. Chelsea had a similar problem when they locked horns with Brentford just before the October international break, so hopefully the Spaniard will have spent the last few days working hard to improve his side's central progression of the ball.

Six Chelsea stars nowhere to be seen

Unsurprisingly, Emi Martinez, Reece James, and Jamie Gittens were not spotted in the latest batch of training pictures. Worryingly, though, there was also no sign of Joao Pedro, who has recently been bothered by a knee issue, Pep Chavarria, who's been nursing a knock, or Emmanuel Emegha, who was supposed to be 'feeling better' following a setback on his road to recovery from a hamstring problem.

Palmer not in action either

Cole Palmer was not spotted in action either. The midfielder was shown a second yellow card during Chelsea's defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend, making him unavailable for the tie at Anfield. Fortunately, he will at least be back in contention for Saturday afternoon's clash against Manchester United.

Estevao stakes claim

Estevao could return to the starting lineup on Wednesday night. The winger has started each of the previous two rounds of the Carabao Cup; his most recent outing was abruptly cut short at half-time when he failed to impress in the dramatic comeback against Leeds United.

Lacroix braves the weather

Maxence Lacroix was the only player not to wear any winter gear at Cobham training ground this week, braving the wet and windy weather, whether it be a pair of gloves, a hat, or a snood. Henderson appeared to be the only player to wear shorts without a base layer, and the only other player not to wear gloves, but he couldn't resist a hat to keep his head warm!