manager Jose Mourinho must confront an adversary who condemned him to
one of the most painful defeats of his career.
Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool's new manager, was in charge of the Borussia
Dortmund side who ousted Real Madrid in the 2012-13 Champions League
semi-finals, dashing Mourinho's dream of bringing the European Cup
back to the Bernabeu in what he knew would be his final season at the
club.
The pair resume hostilities with Mourinho reported to be facing the
sack if results do not improve after the defending champions slumped
to 15th place in the Premier League and were knocked out of the League
Cup by Stoke City, but he has played down the significance of Klopp's
arrival.
"They were a good team, they are a good team," Mourinho told his
pre-game press conference.
"They had good players, they have good players. They had a very good
manager, they have a new very good manager.
"Everything is the same. They have changed some details obviously in
their tactical approach, but this is the nature of the game,
especially when you are thinking and speaking about two top managers."
Mourinho is expected to be in the dug-out despite having been hit with
a Football Association misconduct charge after being sent to the
stands during last weekend's 2-1 loss at West Ham United.
But the bad news continues to pile up for the 52-year-old, with former
team doctor Eva Carneiro reported to have begun legal proceedings
against Chelsea after being sidelined by Mourinho earlier in the
season.
Reports differ as to the likely consequences of another defeat for
Mourinho, but there is general consensus that his future at Stamford
Bridge is on the line.
The dismissal of Klopp's predecessor Brendan Rodgers was a stark
reminder of the cost of failure in the English top flight and while
the German drew his first three games, his side travel to London on
the back of a 1-0 League Cup win over Bournemouth.
– Benteke back –
With his back to the wall, Mourinho needs his senior players to stand
up and be counted, but he may be without striker Diego Costa, who
faces a late fitness test after going off against Stoke with a badly
bruised rib.
Pedro Rodriguez will also undergo a fitness test, while goalkeeper
Thibaut Courtois and Branislav Ivanovic remain out, but Nemanja Matic
is available again after a one-game ban.
Klopp has also been inconvenienced by injury, with Kolo Toure, forced
off against Bournemouth, the latest casualty, while Daniel Sturridge
is taking time to recover from a knock sustained in training.
But James Milner is back from suspension and Christian Benteke is in
contention to lead the line after missing the Bournemouth game with a
knee ligament strain.
Liverpool have not beaten Chelsea in eight matches and have not won at
Stamford Bridge since November 2011, when they won twice there in the
space of 10 days in the league and League Cup.
But Klopp got the better of Mourinho when their paths crossed in
2012-13, with Dortmund taking four points from Madrid in the Champions
League group phase before eliminating them in the last four after a
stirring 4-1 first-leg win in which Robert Lewandowski scored all four
goals.
While a similar outcome on Saturday could have grave repercussions for
Mourinho, Klopp remains a fan.
"From my side, I am full of respect for his work," Klopp said.
"I think if you are not a journalist or a referee he can be a nice
guy, and I am not one of these so we have a good talk.
"He is emotional, I am emotional, but we are full of enough respect
after the whistle that normal life starts again and you can talk
normally about things that happen and that is what we did."
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