Real Madrid earn fitness boost ahead of Liverpool clash as five-time UCL winner returns
Liverpool FC news: The reigning UEFA Champions League champions are missing a few players for their trip to Anfield.
Real Madrid will be boosted by the return of experienced figure Lucas Vasquez for the trip to face Liverpool.
The two titans of European football meet at Anfield on November 27 in what is the game of the week in the Champions League. Arne Slot’s side have been in great form and recently dispatched Bayer Leverkusen impressively, beating them 4-0.
However, Madrid have been their adversaries on and off-the-pitch in recent years, losing in the 2022 Champions League final, being knocked out in the following season in the Round of 16 as well as missing out on a few transfer targets including Jude Bellingham and Aurélien Tchouaméni. And while they are the reigning champions of the competition, all is not well.
Tchouaméni is set to be unavailable for that clash and the same goes for Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militao. However, according to MARCA, Vasquez should be ready to return to the starting line-up which is a big boost given their defensive worries. The report states that he suffered a knock against Osasuna but has recovered well since. With 363 appearances and five Champions League titles, his return is much-needed at the current time.
While at the other end of the pitch, there is still some disconnection when it comes to fitting both Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe into their favoured positions. Regardless, it was still be a strong side that meets Liverpool including Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Antonio Rudiger and others.
There’s also the underlying narrative bubbling away under the surface that Trent Alexander-Arnold could be in line to make a move in the summer, when his current deal expires. Fans are hoping he agrees a new deal with his boyhood club, but there has been no positive news across the season so far.
If the problem isn’t resolved by January, then he will be able to agree a pre-contract with the Spanish giants who are viewing him as the replacement for Carvajal who suffered a serious knee injury at 32 which may well hinder the rest of his career at the top level. However, the Liverpool right-back may not be available to feature as he is currently out with a hamstring injury and his return for that game is currently up in the air.