Adam Lallana believes the absence of Daniel Sturridge was the reason for Liverpool's downfall in the Capital One Cup semi-final.
The Reds were beaten 2-1 on aggregate by Chelsea after last week's 1-0 second leg defeat at Stamford Bridge which came in the form of an extra-time goal from Branislav Ivanovic.
The loss cost Liverpool a spot in the league cup final, where Chelsea will meet Tottenham at Wembley on March 1, and according to midfielder Lallana that disappointment could have been avoided if striker Sturridge was not injured.
"Having [Daniel] Sturridge back is a huge bonus, because that's where he's at his best - in and around the box," Lallana told liverpoolfc.com of Sturridge who came off the bench to score in the weekend's 2-0 Premier League win over West Ham United.
"In games where it's tight, you always look to him to poach the goal or get the finish. In the last few games, the Chelsea game comes to mind, we have had a lot of chances but just not been clinical enough.
"Maybe the keeper (Thibaut Courtois) has had a good game, but we have got high standards and when we're in those areas, more often than not we want to turn them into goals."
