Liverpool have been handed a major boost in their attempts to make it into the last 8 of the Champions League as it has emerged that Real Madrid pair Aurelien Tchouameni and Toni Kroos will both be missing from Los Blancos’ engine room for the first leg of the tie.
The two sides clash this Tuesday in a repeat of last season’s Champions League final, in which the Spanish giants ran out narrow 1-0 winners over Jurgen Klopp’s side. This time around, one team’s European journey will be far shorter, with Real Madrid the narrow favourites to head through to the last 8 across the two legs.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side will have their work cut out in the first leg, however, amid serious injury concerns ahead of their trip to Anfield on Tuesday night.
Left-back Ferland Mendy was already confirmed to be sidelined for the clash, but it has since also been confirmed that neither of Toni Kroos or Aurelien Tchouameni will make the trip either through injuries of their own.
The pair have been a regular feature in Carlo Ancelotti’s midfield to date this season, with Kroos having started 14 La Liga games so far, while Tchouameni has started just one fewer time.
It leaves Los Blancos a little short on midfield options, with talented youngster Eduardo Camavinga set to start alongside one-time Arsenal loanee Dani Ceballos and the evergreen Luka Modric in the Real Madrid engine room.
