diff --git a/litellm/router.py b/litellm/router.py
index ed28d1d482..aeaabac60d 100644
--- a/litellm/router.py
+++ b/litellm/router.py
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ class Router:
         self.default_litellm_params = default_litellm_params
         self.default_litellm_params.setdefault("timeout", timeout)
         self.default_litellm_params.setdefault("max_retries", 0)
-        self.default_litellm_params.setdefault("litellm_metadata", {}).update(
+        self.default_litellm_params.setdefault("metadata", {}).update(
             {"caching_groups": caching_groups}
         )
 
@@ -1086,17 +1086,22 @@ class Router:
         kwargs.setdefault("litellm_trace_id", str(uuid.uuid4()))
         kwargs.setdefault("metadata", {}).update({"model_group": model})
 
-    def _update_kwargs_with_default_litellm_params(self, kwargs: dict) -> None:
+    def _update_kwargs_with_default_litellm_params(
+        self, kwargs: dict, metadata_variable_name: str
+    ) -> None:
         """
         Adds default litellm params to kwargs, if set.
         """
+        self.default_litellm_params[metadata_variable_name] = (
+            self.default_litellm_params.pop("metadata")
+        )
         for k, v in self.default_litellm_params.items():
             if (
                 k not in kwargs and v is not None
             ):  # prioritize model-specific params > default router params
                 kwargs[k] = v
-            elif k == "metadata":
-                kwargs[k].update(v)
+            elif k == metadata_variable_name:
+                kwargs[metadata_variable_name].update(v)
 
     def _handle_clientside_credential(
         self, deployment: dict, kwargs: dict
@@ -1165,7 +1170,9 @@ class Router:
             kwargs=kwargs, data=deployment["litellm_params"]
         )
 
-        self._update_kwargs_with_default_litellm_params(kwargs=kwargs)
+        self._update_kwargs_with_default_litellm_params(
+            kwargs=kwargs, metadata_variable_name=metadata_variable_name
+        )
 
     def _get_async_openai_model_client(self, deployment: dict, kwargs: dict):
         """
@@ -2416,18 +2423,12 @@ class Router:
 
             data = deployment["litellm_params"].copy()
             model_name = data["model"]
-
-            model_client = self._get_async_openai_model_client(
-                deployment=deployment,
-                kwargs=kwargs,
-            )
             self.total_calls[model_name] += 1
 
             response = original_function(
                 **{
                     **data,
                     "caching": self.cache_responses,
-                    "client": model_client,
                     **kwargs,
                 }
             )
@@ -2498,9 +2499,6 @@ class Router:
             data = deployment["litellm_params"].copy()
             model_name = data["model"]
 
-            model_client = self._get_client(
-                deployment=deployment, kwargs=kwargs, client_type="sync"
-            )
             self.total_calls[model_name] += 1
 
             # Perform pre-call checks for routing strategy
@@ -2510,7 +2508,6 @@ class Router:
                 **{
                     **data,
                     "caching": self.cache_responses,
-                    "client": model_client,
                     **kwargs,
                 }
             )