LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Wednesday, September 17, 2025: Atletico Madrid's head coach Diego Simeone speaks with the fourth official during the UEFA Champions League match between Liverpool FC and Atletico Madrid FC at Anfield. Liverpool won 3-2. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Wednesday, September 17, 2025: Atletico Madrid's head coach Diego Simeone speaks with the fourth official during the UEFA Champions League match between Liverpool FC and Atletico Madrid FC at Anfield. Liverpool won 3-2. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Atletico Madrid will be without winger Arnau Ortiz for their Champions League match against Liverpool due to a carried-over ban from 2024.
Andoni Iraola will oversee his first Champions League match as Liverpool’s head coach on Wednesday, against a familiar opponent for the Reds.
The Spaniard is expected to have the same squad available after no injury concerns emerged from Friday’s win.
Diego Simeone, however, cannot name Ortiz – who stepped up from the Spanish side’s reserve team in the summer – at Anfield as he must serve a UEFA ban, as per MARCA.
In 2024, Ortiz was sent off in a Conference League qualifier for Polish club Slask Wroclaw, with quickfire yellow cards for diving and then for protesting his caution just three minutes after he was subbed on.
It proved a controversial match, with Ortiz the third Wroclaw player sent off by the referee in a 3-2 defeat.
St. Gallen advanced 4-3 on aggregate, and thus Ortiz could not serve his one-match ban until now, as the 2024 qualifier was his most recent game in UEFA competition.
The 24-year-old has been used in three of Atletico’s four opening games of the season, with a start on the opening day before two consecutive appearances off the bench.
Potential Atletico XI vs. Liverpool: Oblak; Llorente, Pubill, Hancko, Grimaldo; Simeone, Barrios, Hjulmand, Lee; Lookman, Baena
His absence at Anfield will take away an attacking option for Simeone, who is also without the forward Alexander Sorloth.
Julian Alvarez is expected to travel to Liverpool, but he has yet to start this season after trying to force a move to Barcelona over the summer.
Jonathan David, a summer loan signing, could also start at centre-forward, but he has yet to make an appearance after his deadline day move.
Atletico arrive at Anfield off the back of a 3-0 defeat to Athletic Club in La Liga, with Simeone admitting it was ‘deserved’ after conceding twice within the first three minutes of the second half.
The Spanish side head to Liverpool with two wins, a draw and a loss from their opening four games.
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