Real Madrid will be traveling to Anfield for Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League first-leg clash against Liverpool in the round of sixteen without Toni Kroos and Aurelien Tchouameni.

Both players were unavailable for Real Madrid’s 2-0 win over Osasuna due to illness and will not be on the plane to Merseyside.

Despite their absence and Los Blancos’s La Liga form being unconvincing lately, they remain a formidable outfit and boast a talented squad with the likes of Vinicius Junior, Luka Modric, and Karim Benzema, who returned from injury at the weekend against Osasuna.

Karim Benzema is available after providing an assist in Los Blancos’s 2-0 win against Osasuna in La Liga over the weekend.

Liverpool, led by their charismatic manager Jurgen Klopp, has been one of the most consistent teams in Europe in recent years, winning the Champions League twice in the last four seasons. They’ll be looking to continue their impressive form in the competition and take a first-leg advantage back to Anfield.

However, their Premier League form has not been the most convincing as they sit in 8th position with seven points from UEFA Champions League places, although they did get a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United at the weekend, the same result they got in the Merseyside derby a game prior.

Jurgen Klopp’s side also has fitness issues to worry about, with Darwin Nunez a doubt, while Diogo Jota and Luiz Diaz are closer to a return to action after resuming training last week.

The manager also tagged the game as one of the biggest matches and admitted that his team has to play their best to get a victory.

“It is one of the biggest games in the world [with added] recent history, and it will be a top game. I am really happy we play it now. If we don’t play our best, we don’t have a chance. Real Madrid doesn’t have to play their best [to] still have a chance.”

Daniel Ademiju Idowu