Real Madrid face potential injury worry ahead of Champions League quarter-finals clash with Liverpool after Kroos redrawn from Germany squad for World Cup qualifiers
Toni Kroos has been withdrawn from the Germany squad due to injury ahead of Real Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final with Liverpool next month.
Kroos, who has been an ever-present figure in Zinedine Zidane’s team this season – making 35 appearances in all competitions – is struggling with a “persistent adductor issue”.
The Germany midfielder will now leave the team hotel ahead of their World Cup qualifiers against Iceland, Romania and North Macedonia and return to the Spanish capital.
It is still unknown at this point how long this injury will keep Kroos out for, but Los Blancos will be hoping he’s fit enough to face Eibar on Saturday, April 3 – which is just three days before their first-leg tie with the Reds in Madrid.
If Kroos is not available for selection, Zidane will still have a wealth of central midfield options to pick from with Casemiro, Federico Valverde, Luka Modric and Isco.
However, like Liverpool, their quarter-final opponents are also having something of an injury crisis.
Sergio Ramos was absent from their La Liga win over Celta Vigo at the weekend due to an ankle injury, though the club are confident he’ll be available for the clash with the Reds.
But right-back duo of Alvaro Odriozola and Dani Carvajal are also injured, with the former expected to recover in time but the latter is likely to be out.
Eden Hazard, who has struggled with injuries throughout his time in the Spanish capital, is expected to miss out on both legs against Liverpool.
The Reds will of course be without centre-back trio of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip for both games against the 13-time champions of Europe.
Likewise, captain Jordan Henderson is expected to be missing for both legs of the tie.
