Sadio Mane and Fabinho are likely to feature in the starting XI when Liverpool take on Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
Liverpool will kick off the knockout stages of their UEFA Champions League campaign when they face off against Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Round of 16 stages at the Wanda Metropolitano on Tuesday. And manager Jurgen Klopp has very few injury concerns heading into the big game in the Spanish capital.
Speaking of his squad’s condition ahead of the game, the manager told Liverpool’s official website, “Good, exactly the same. All on board and available, cool.” The only two missing due to injuries for Liverpool are Xherdan Shaqiri and long-term absentee Nathaniel Clyne.
Klopp provides a fitness update ahead of Tuesday’s @ChampionsLeague meet with @Atleti.#UCL https://t.co/zUHt3gIJq4
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 17, 2020
Klopp is unlikely to make a lot of tweaks to the side that started in the 1-0 win against Norwich City in the Premier League this past weekend. Alisson Becker is an ever-present figure between the sticks for Liverpool and should continue against Atletico, while the backline of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk and Andrew Robertson picks itself.
Liverpool have plenty of options in the midfield department, but Klopp is likely to stick to the tried and tested trio of captain Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum.
Fabinho wasn’t part of the starting lineup against Norwich City, but should come into the team at the expense of Naby Keita. The Brazilian’s presence as the holding midfielder means Henderson ought to start in a more advanced role against Atletico Madrid. The fit-again James Milner, Keita and Adam Lallana will provide options from the bench.
There is likely to be a solitary change made in the attacking department with Sadio Mane set to return to the starting XI. The Senegalese international returned from injury against Norwich and went on to score the only goal of the game and should rightly be reinstated to the lineup at the expense of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah are obvious picks for the remaining two slots in the Liverpool attack on Tuesday night.
Liverpool Predicted XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Mane
