Liverpool face Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final this Sunday and Arne Slot could be without some important players at Wembley. The Reds are looking to retain the final trophy won by Jurgen Klopp on Merseyside against a team without a major domestic trophy in 70 years.

That went against usual football diplomacy, where players talk of only focusing on the next game, but that’s perhaps part of the charm. It’s also part of the strange dynamics of these occasions, that at once enrich football but can also make it so emotionally wrenching.