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Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson ‘ruled out’ vs Real Madrid
Liverpool have been dealt a blow after it was confirmed that Jordan Henderson is ‘ruled out’ of the Champions League game vs Real Madrid on Wednesday, according to journalist James Pearce.
The Lowdown: UCL preparations
The Reds suffered a heavy 5-2 Anfield defeat to Carlo Ancelotti’s outfit back in February and are now set to complete the Bernabeu second leg tonight.
Speaking during his pre-match press conference, Jurgen Klopp offered his thoughts on the task ahead. He said:
“What I said 3 weeks ago after the game was Madrid were through, now we know there’s a game to play. If there’s only 1% chance, we give it a try. We play a strong opponent and try to win it. That is possible. For that we’re here. We’ll see where it leads to.”
“We are here to win the game and that is difficult enough here, one of the best teams in the world. We will give it a proper try. It’s not about sitting here saying ‘scoring three goals is no problem’. Of course it is.”
The boss held his last training session at Kirkby on Tuesday morning before him and the rest of the team flew out to Spain later in the afternoon, but it appears that they were without their captain.
The Latest: Henderson update
Taking to Twitter, Pearce revealed that Henderson was unable to join his fellow teammates on the plane as a result of being under the weather. He wrote:
“Captain Jordan Henderson ruled out of #LFC’s 2nd leg showdown v Real Madrid. Hasn’t travelled to Spain due to illness.”
The Verdict: Blow for Klopp
Henderson is a real leader both on and off the pitch for Liverpool so it’ll be a huge blow for Klopp to be without his skipper’s services for the fixture vs Real Madrid.
The England international has had an impressive Champions League campaign in 2023, averaging 1.8 tackles and 1.5 key passes per game with one assist to his name in four appearances (WhoScored).
The Merseyside star also ranks in the 97th percentile for passes attempted and the 96th for progressive passes, highlighting his desire to contribute to his side’s efforts in the final third (FBRef).
Finally, Henderson has been dubbed a ‘hero’ by journalist Josh Bunting and the Reds will be hoping that they are successfully able to secure a positive result without him in the middle of the park.
