Liverpool: Emre Can makes CL final squad but youngster misses out
By David Gate
Liverpool have named their 24-squad for the Champions League final against Real Madrid on Saturday. Emre Can makes it but one young star misses out.
There is not much drama surrounding who will play for Liverpool on Saturday against Real Madrid in the Champions League final. The injuries to Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain mean the team picks itself aside from a huge surprise from Jurgen Klopp.
However, who makes the bench is very much up for grabs. Will there be three defenders? Will both Danny Ings and Dominic Solanke make it? Is Emre Can ready to feature from the bench?
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Today’s 24-man squad announcement keeps that last question alive. Emre Can is considered fit enough to make the squad. Whether or not he is at a fitness level to make the bench – or be used as a substitute remains to be seen.
Perhaps we have not seen the last of the German international in a Liverpool shirt. There may still be one more job left for him to do before his rumored move to Juventus when his contract runs out at the end of June.
Can’s inclusion does mean one young player will miss out on being involved. Irish center back Conor Masterson has been around the first team squad since Matip’s injury and even won a place on the bench in Liverpool’s first leg game against Manchester City in the quarter finals.
Other youngsters Nathaniel Philips, Curtis Jones and Rafael Camacho are all included though it would be a huge shock to see any of them involved on Saturday.
The first team will almost certainly be: Loris Karius; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dejan Lovren, Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson; Gini Wijnaldum, James Milner, Jordan Henderson; Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino & Sadio Mane.
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The bench will be Simon Mognolet and a six-man combination of Nathaniel Clyne, Ragnar Klavan, Alberto Moreno, Emre Can, Adam Lallana, Ben Woodburn, Danny Ings & Dominic Solanke. Two of those players will be unlucky to miss out after featuring on the bench for most of the season.