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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will definitely not have four key players for the first leg against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Jürgen Klopp has been juggling his starting lineup all season amid an injury crisis in Liverpool. So dire has the situation been that players like Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have had to play out of position for several months.
In the final stretch of what has been a difficult campaign, Liverpool are still aiming for Champions League glory. And while Klopp is missing a few key figures and his team is far from the phenomenal side it has had for the past two years, The Reds will face Real Madrid with the conviction of being able to overcome the Champions League after their 4-0 aggregate win over Leipzig in the round of 16 tie.
Liverpool: Who is left out of the clash with Real Madrid?
Liverpool’s four confirmed casualties from the tie against Real Madrid are Virgil Van Dijk, Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and Jordan Henderson – namely, three center-backs and a midfielder who has had to play as a center-back due to a lack of defenses.
While Matip and Gomez will be out for the rest of the season, there is also very little hope that Van Dijk will be able to return before the summer. with Klopp stating that a “miracle” would be needed.
Meanwhile, Henderson is expected to return in mid-April, which means he could possibly be available for the second leg against Madrid at Anfield.
Who will be Klopp’s central defensive partner?
After recovering from a month on the sidelines, Fabinho has returned to his favorite midfield role. The Brazilian had been acting as a substitute for Van Dijk at the rear following the injury to the Dutch central defender. But after impressing in both games against Leipzig at his preferred No. 6 position, Fabinho will likely stick with that role against Real Madrid.
His performance guarantees him a place at the front of the defensive line, which means that everything indicates that the central defensive pair chosen by Klopp will be Nat Phillips and Ozan Kabak, The latter hit the January transfer market from Schalke, and Liverpool had the option to buy the 20-year-old Turk. For his part, Phillips is a more classic defender and at 23 he has the chance of a lifetime to prove himself at the highest level. His magnificent performances against Leipzig guarantee him a starting position against Real Madrid.
The return of Diogo Jota
Diogo Jota has appeared in all three games, two as a starter, since he returned from the injury that caused him to miss every game between December and February. Although he has only played 21 games for Liverpool, most of his opening appearances came from the bench., his scoring impact allowed him to break through in Klopp’s eleven, sometimes even alongside Firmino, Salah and Mané.
With 10 goals in 21 games, the last of which was against in Liverpool’s last league game against Wolves (0-1), the first The Atlético de Madrid player is an offensive wild card who could be one of the main threats to Zidane’s men.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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