Liverpool face a huge task in overturning a three-goal deficit against Real Madrid, having squandered a two-nil lead to fall to a chastening 5-2 defeat at Anfield in the Champions League three weeks ago.

Despite offering more promising form in the Premier League over the past several weeks, Jurgen Klopp's outift are a mere shadow of their former vigorous selves, and will require one of the great European performances to defeat Carlo Ancelotti's Los Blancos, who defeated the Reds in the previous Champions League edition's finale.

Klopp stated in Liverpool's pre-match press conference that midfield pair Stefan Bajcetic and captain Jordan Henderson are both unavailable for the pivotal clash, citing injury and illness respectively, which compounds the quandary of Thiago Alcantara's absence, himself shackled to the medical room for the foreseeable future.

Liverpool can take solace in the knowledge that Real are nine points adrift of La Liga table-toppers Barcelona, who were recently beaten in the Europa League by Manchester United, but it will take a Herculean effort at the Santiago Bernabeu to salvage the last realistic chance for silverware this season nonetheless.

How will Klopp field his team vs Real Madrid?

Considering this, here is how Football FanCast expects Klopp to field his starting 11 against the record Champions League victors, with as little as two changes made from the team that fell to a meek defeat against relegation-battling Bournemouth last weekend.

PXI for Liverpool vs Real Madrid

In goal, the usually imperious Alisson will retain his unwavering role in between the sticks, having made a costly error in the reverse fixture.

Trent Alexander Arnold and Andy Robertson will maraud up and down the flanks, with Klopp unlikely to change his central defensive partnership of Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk.

The midfield will require a reshuffle, however, with the "incredible" - as dubbed by Klopp - 37-year-old Milner stepping in for Henderson, while Harvey Elliott and anchor Fabinho should keep their places.

Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez, Liverpool's two top goalscorers this season, will occupy the wings and seek to use inversions created by Roberto Firmino, stepping in for £35m winter signing Cody Gakpo in the centre-forward position, to wreak havoc on the home defence.

The alterations mean that Klopp will have the likes of the aforementioned Gakpo and Diogo Jota at his disposal from the bench, which could prove invaluable as the match approaches the latter stages, if the Reds require a moment of magic to complete a historic European comeback.