Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita will return, but Jordan Henderson is unavailable for the game between Liverpool and Real Madrid.
Liverpool will be desperate to pull off a miraculous comeback and book their place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League when they lock horns with Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night.
The Reds have been dealt a major blow heading into the contest against Real Madrid. Midfielders Jordan Henderson and Stefan Bajcetic have been ruled out of the second leg. While club captain Henderson did not travel with the squad to Spain because of illness, Bajcetic continues to recover from his adductor injury and he is not ready to feature.
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Klopp confirmed the duo’s absence during his pre-match press conference, saying, “With Stefan, it is a stress response, which is absolutely bad. So, he doesn’t feel a lot, it’s only a little bit but he is now out for I don’t know exactly how long. We have just to let it settle then and we will see when he can come back. [It’s] high up, around the adductor.”
Liverpool were already without Thiago Alcantara and Luis Diaz for this game. Thiago is still recovering from his hip injury, and Diaz is lacking in match fitness. The Colombian has resumed training but is not ready to feature in a game of this intensity yet.
Liverpool are set to start in a 4-3-3 formation, with Alisson Becker in goal. The back four pretty much picks itself, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson on the flanks. Ibrahima Konate will partner Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the defence.
Liverpool’s midfield is depleted because of injury problems. Fabinho is likely to start as the defensive midfielder here, with Naby Keita adding control and creativity alongside him. James Miller and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are in contention for the third and final midfield spot. And it will not be surprising if Oxlade-Chamberlain gets the nod ahead of Milner.
Cody Gakpo is set to lead the line for the visitors, with Mohamed Salah on his right and Darwin Nunez on his left. So Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino will be options on the bench for Klopp in the second half.
Predicted Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Keita, Fabinho, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Salah, Gakpo, Nunez
