Real Madrid possible starting lineup against Liverpool in the Champions League

Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and Eder Militão are among the first-team players unavailable for Wednesday's UCL match against the Premier League leaders at Anfield.

Real Madrid travel to Anfield on Wednesday and will need to take points from their match against Liverpool after a disappointing start to this season's Champions League.

Carlo Ancelotti's side, who have lost two of their first four matches, will be hoping to work their way up the standings towards the top eight, who will qualify directly for the round of 16 after eight games. If they ultimately succeed, they will avoid a playoff round and add two more games to an already packed schedule.

Making a case for Real Madrid against Liverpool

Los Blancos are in a positive frame of mind against the Premier League leaders after fine performances in comfortable wins over Osasuna and Leganés, while several members of the squad also impressed with their national teams in November. Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, Dani Ceballos and Arda Güler have shown glimpses of their best form, while young defender Raúl Asencio has caught the eye following Eder Militão's ACL injury.

Furthermore, Real Madrid are undefeated in their last three visits to Anfield. In two wins and a draw they scored eight goals and conceded only two.

First-choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is back in the starting line-up after missing Champions League defeats to Lille and AC Milan. On the other hand, the LaLiga giants have won the two matches he played in, against Stuttgart (3-1) and Borussia Dortmund (5-2).

Liverpool fans are unlikely to have forgotten the Belgian's incredible performance in the 2022 Champions League final, in which he made nine saves against a formidable Reds attack featuring Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.

Ferland Mendy is also expected to return to the team, with Ancelotti claiming the left-back would be “very important” against the Reds after the win over Leganés.

Real Madrid Champions League Injury Update

However, there are six first-team players who are unavailable and all of whom are key figures. Long-term absentees Militão, David Alaba and Dani Carvajal are joined on the sidelines by Aurélien Tchouaméni, Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr, who scored twice and assisted a further two goals the last time Madrid visited Anfield in February 2023.

However, Lucas Vázquez is ready to return after recovering from an injury he suffered in early November. Despite this, it appears that Fede Valverde will remain at right-back, meaning either Ceballos or Güler will start ahead of him. Will Ancelotti opt for the more attack-oriented Turk or the former Betis star, who would offer more control in midfield?

Possibly Real Madrid XI vs Liverpool

It looks like Real Madrid will line up as follows at Anfield:

Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Rudiger, Mendy; Güler or Ceballos, Modric, Camavinga, Bellingham; Brahim, Mbappe.

Brahim's position could determine whether Los Blancos start with a 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 system. If Ancelotti plays him behind Mbappe or from the right, Bellingham can come in from the left and also act as a second striker.