Real Madrid head to England to take on Liverpool in the Champions League this week and Carlo Ancelotti will be without two of his key players.
The first leg will be played at Anfield on Tuesday night but midfielders Toni Kroos and Aurlien Tchouameni have not made it to the squad.
Kroos did not play against Osasuna at the weekend due to gastrointestinal discomfort while Tchouameni has been hit with the flu. The 23-year-old’s last appearance was against Elche where he played 22 minutes.
The pair have been regular starters for Real Madrid this season and both of them have featured in 17 La Liga matches so far. They have also chipped in with two goals and four assists amongst them.
However, not all the injury news is negative because Karim Benzema has made it to the Los Blancos squad meaning he is in line to get a start on Tuesday night.
The Frenchman has been in top form this season, scoring 11 goals in just 13 league appearances which is why his return will be a big positive for the Real Madrid manager.
Benzema will hopefully be leading the line with Vinicius and Valverde playing out on the wings but the midfield area is surely going to be a big cause of concern for Madrid.
With Toni Kroos and Tchouameni missing, Dani Ceballos should be the one who is going to start alongside Camavinga and Modric in the middle of the park.
The only good news for the Real Madrid boss is that Liverpool will also have a weak midfield because Thiago and Arthur are both out injured. Thiago has been the midfield general for the Reds this season and his absence could turn out to be a big differentiating factor in the first leg.
Kroos and Tchouameni’s injuries will give a lot of hope to Klopp but first, he will have to make sure his own players can maintain the momentum which they have picked up over the previous two matches.
