Liverpool travel to Turkey to face Galatasaray in the Champions League last 16 first leg after losing to the same opponents in September
WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - MARCH 03: Arne Slot, the Liverpool manager looks on prior to the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool at Molineux on March 03, 2026 in Wolverhampton, England. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Arne Slot has been dealt a blow ahead of Liverpool's trip to face Galatasaray(Image: David Rogers, Getty Images)
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Liverpool will get a break from domestic duties when they return to Champions League action against Galatasaray on Tuesday. Arne Slot's squad have already suffered a defeat in Istanbul this season and will be aiming to prevent a repeat of their 1-0 loss last time, despite being far from full strength.
Victor Osimhen was the match-winner when the teams met in the autumn. However, it was the only away game Liverpool lost as they secured third place in the league phase table.
Galatasaray scored just nine times in their first eight games and that played a part in them needing a play-off against Juventus to make it into the round of 16. That Juve clash was a goalfest, however, as Okan Buruk's side clinched a 7-5 aggregate win after extra-time in Turin.
Ahead of Tuesday's kick-off, Liverpool have been dealt fresh injury blows and will need to tread carefully in Istanbul. Here are our latest updates from around Anfield.
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Eight could face bans
Any player who accumulates three yellow cards before the conclusion of the Champions League quarter-finals will receive a one-match suspension in the competition. While Liverpool have only one player who will be banned if they pick up a yellow card on Tuesday, Galatasaray face potentially losing up to seven players for the second leg.
Curtis Jones is the only player currently on two yellow cards who could play for Liverpool on Tuesday. Conor Bradley also has two bookings but has already been ruled out due to injury.
Jones' first yellow card arrived in the dying moments in the league phase match against Galatasaray and his second was during the victory over Inter Milan in December. Gala's goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir and defenders Ismail Jakobs and Abdulkerim Bardakci all picked up one of their two bookings against the Reds, with Cakir and Bardakci doubling that tally during the play-off round.
Top scorer Victor Osimhen is also one match away from a suspension, as are his Gala team-mates Noa Lang, Davinson Sanchez and Roland Sallai. However, midfielder Mario Lemina is no longer at risk of a similar ban after already serving a suspension for his three league phase yellows.
Two players absent from squad
Liverpool's injury list has expanded ahead of their journey to Turkey, with goalkeeper Alisson not included in the travelling squad. The Brazilian international trained on Monday but is believed to have picked up a fresh problem towards the end of the session.
ISTANBUL, TURKEY - SEPTEMBER 30: goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili of Liverpool drinking water during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD2 match between Galatasaray A.S. and Liverpool FC at Ali Sami Yen Spor Kompleksi on September 30, 2025 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Seskim Photo/MB Media/Getty Images)
Giorgi Mamardashvili is expected to get minutes against Galatasaray for the second time this season(Image: Seskim Photo/MB Media, Getty Images)
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Federico Chiesa will also be unavailable despite making the bench for Friday's FA Cup win over Wolves, while the likes of Conor Bradley and Alexander Isak were already ruled out. However, Trey Nyoni has travelled despite not being seen in training on Monday.
With Alisson out of action, Giorgi Mamardashvili is anticipated to start on Tuesday. The Georgian goalkeeper made his Champions League debut against Galatasaray in September after Alisson was injured mid-match and subsequently started against Eintracht Frankfurt, Real Madrid and PSV Eindhoven.
Mamardashvili has only played once since letting in four goals against PSV in November, starting in the FA Cup third round triumph over Barnsley. Freddie Woodman will be on the bench, having only featured once since joining the Reds in the summer, whilst young goalkeeper Kornel Misciur is also travelling with the team after being an unused sub for three league phase games.
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