Liverpool have been dealt a blow in the buildup to their Champions League clash against Qarabag.
Wednesday night will be the final European fixture of the league phase, and Liverpool face Qarabag with the aim of securing automatic qualification to the knockout stages.
The Champions League might be the only hope of ending this season in celebrations, and Arne Slot will want to ensure they have the best chance of a deep run in the competition.
Will Liverpool beat Qarabag and qualify for the last-16?
The Azerbaijani's have a poor record against English teams
He will, however, be without two players who leave a gaping hole in the Liverpool squad.
Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez absent from Liverpool training
If there was ever a position in which Liverpool would want to avoid multiple absences, it’s at centre-back.
The position has been a cause for concern all season, and no additions have been made to address the lack of depth.
We’re just a day out from the tie, so hearing that two of the three experienced centre-backs weren’t training this afternoon is a real hammer blow.
Paul Joyce was at the AXA Training Centre, and reported on X: “Joe Gomez (hip) and Ibrahima Konate absent from Liverpool training.”
Konate is away from the squad after a family death last week, while Gomez picked up a knock against Bournemouth at the weekend.
It means Slot will have to improvise when selecting his back line.
Wataru Endo as Liverpool’s starting centre-back
Liverpool now need to figure out who will pair with Virgil van Dijk on Wednesday night.
Wataru Endo replaced Gomez against Bournemouth and he looks the obvious choice to go again.
There is also Ryan Gravenberch, who has played in that role for Slot on a number of occasions. That tends to be when Liverpool are chasing a lead, not when they want to shore up at the back.
Who starts alongside Van Dijk against Qarabag?
Endo? Gravenberch? One of the youngsters? 👀
Liverpool’s centre-back issues worsen 😬
It’s far from ideal, but Endo is so popular among Liverpool fans due to his unwavering commitment to playing whatever role is required of him by the manager.
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