Atletico Madrid Could Miss Two Forwards for Champions League Trip to Liverpool
Atletico Madrid could be without two attacking options when they travel to Anfield to face Liverpool in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
Diego Simeone’s side are returning to Merseyside for another European showdown with the Reds, having suffered a dramatic 3-2 defeat at Anfield last September after Virgil van Dijk scored a late winner.
This time, Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola will be experiencing Champions League football as a head coach for the first time, and the latest injury news from Spain could provide some encouragement ahead of the encounter.
Sorloth and Ortiz Set to Miss Anfield Clash
According to reports from Marca, Alexander Sorloth is unlikely to recover from injury in time to feature against Liverpool, with the Norway international still not expected to return to action.
Atletico will also be unable to call upon Arnau Ortiz. The attacker remains suspended following a red card he received while representing Slask Wroclaw against St Gallen in the Conference League two years ago.
Despite not featuring in a European match since that incident, Ortiz’s suspension remains outstanding and will prevent him from playing at Anfield.
Atletico Still Have Plenty of Attacking Threat
Although Simeone could be missing two forwards, Atletico are far from short of attacking quality.
Giuliano Simeone, the manager’s son, can provide danger from the right side, while Alex Baena has already made an impressive start to the season, scoring three goals in his first four appearances.
Liverpool supporters will also be wary of Marcos Llorente. The Spanish midfielder has enjoyed playing at Anfield, scoring twice on each of his previous two visits to the stadium.
Atletico have made a mixed start domestically, collecting seven points from their opening four matches before suffering a heavy 3-0 defeat away to Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.
Liverpool, meanwhile, will head into the Champions League fixture with some confidence after securing their first league victory of the season against Ipswich last Friday.
However, the Reds also have attacking absences of their own, with Hugo Ekitike and Federico Chiesa unavailable through injury.
Another intense battle is expected at Anfield, with this set to be the sixth Champions League meeting between the two clubs this decade. Liverpool will hope their attacking strength can help them secure another victory over Simeone’s side and continue the momentum from their recent win at Portman Road.
