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Liverpool hand 20-year-old midfielder shock place in Champions League squad
Liverpool arrived in Spain on Monday evening ahead of their Champions League match against Atletico Madrid, with young midfielder Elijah Dixon-Bonner among those traveling.
Tonight, the Reds face Atletico Madrid for the seventh time in their history, and the third time under Jurgen Klopp’s leadership.
Last time out, the Spanish side won 4-2 on aggregate in the last 16 of the competition, beating Liverpool 3-2 before the lockdown.
Liverpool currently leads Group B after victories over AC Milan and Porto, and a win tonight would put them in a strong position to advance to the knockout stages.
Thiago, Curtis Jones, and Harvey Elliott are all missing for the game, leaving Klopp with few options in midfield.
Fabinho is back in the squad and could start alongside any of Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, James Milner, or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Dixon-Bonner, a 20-year-old academy midfielder who was surprisingly included in the traveling squad, should also make the bench.
Dixon-Bonner took part in training at Kirkby on Monday lunchtime, but it was expected that he was just padding the numbers because Fabinho was already in Spain.
However, the youngster was among those who arrived at the team hotel in Madrid, indicating that he will be part of the squad.
The versatile, goal-scoring midfielder spent the summer on trial with Portsmouth, but the League One club decided against signing him.
He later returned to the Liverpool under-23s and has occasionally filled in during first-team training.
Tonight could be his most significant appearance under Klopp to date, following in the footsteps of Jake Cain and Harvey Davies last season.
There are still questions about the long-term role of a player who joined from Arsenal in 2015, but this is a chance to shine.
Davies received a surprise call-up of his own for last season’s clashes with RB Leipzig and Real Madrid, and has since been fast-tracked through the youth ranks and regularly plays for the club.
Dixon-Bonner would have a more difficult time breaking through, but his time in Madrid could be invaluable.
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Liverpool hand 20-year-old midfielder shock place in Champions League squad
