Liverpool could be without the services of up to six players when they host Galatasaray on Wednesday night in the UEFA Champions League, round of 16, leg two. Goalkeeper Alisson Becker (undisclosed injury) and Federico Chiesa (unspecified illness) both face late fitness tests here. Perhaps Reds boss Arne Slot will provide more updates on Alisson and Chiesa at his press conference tomorrow.
The other four absentees are your previously standing quartet of longer-term injury absentees: Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Alexander Isak.
UEFA Champions League Round of 16
Liverpool FC at Galatasaray Leg 2 of 2
Aggregate: Galatasaray leads 1-0
Kickoff: Wed March 18, 8pm kickoff, Anfield, Liverpool, UK
More on LFC’s summer friendly at Yankee Stadium against Wrexham: go here
Google Result Probability for 90 Min: Liverpool win 76% Draw 14% Galatasaray win 10%
Overall, the pressure has to be rising on Slot. Yes, he won the league title last season, but a draw with Tottenham Hotspur yesterday, given the sorry state of Spurs, has to feel like a loss. And then of course, obviously, they enter this clash on Wednesday night down 0-1 in the tie, which nobody say coming!
Yes, the EPL all got hammered last week in the UCL, with everyone not winning their first leg (and four of the five English teams losing), but that’s no excuse. Slot and company have to get it done on Wednesday.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.