Liverpool handed concern as PSG star returns to training

Liverpool handed concern as PSG star returns to training

Liverpool’s preparations for Tuesday night have been given an added complication, with Paris Saint-Germain set to welcome back Bradley Barcola just days before the Champions League second leg.

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After our much-needed win over Fulham, attention has fully turned to overturning the deficit at Anfield, but the latest update from France suggests the task may have just become more difficult.

PSG receive Barcola boost before Anfield clash

According to L’Equipe, Bradley Barcola is now expected to be available for the trip to Merseyside after stepping up his recovery.

The report states: “Bradley Barcola is expected to be a substitute against Liverpool on Tuesday in the Champions League and could come off the bench if needed.

“Barring any setbacks, Bradley Barcola should be available for the trip to Liverpool for the Champions League quarter-final second leg on Tuesday. Not to start, but he could be a backup option, just in case.”

That means while the Frenchman may not be ready to start, he could still play a role off the bench, which is often where games like this can be decided.

The 23-year-old attacker has been working his way back from injury, and the same report adds: “Bradley Barcola’s return to competition is drawing closer… the former Lyon player is now pain-free – which is the good news – but he is not yet pushing himself to full capacity.”

Liverpool facing challenges at both ends

From our perspective, this is far from ideal given the issues we’re already dealing with heading into the clash.

Arne Slot has already confirmed that Alisson Becker won’t be available, saying after the Fulham win: “Tuesday I don’t expect him. He’s not training with the team yet.

But he’s working very hard on his recovery, so we hope to have him back in the near future. But he doesn’t train with the team yet, so he will not be performing [on] Tuesday.”

That leaves us without our No.1 goalkeeper at a time when PSG are potentially adding more firepower to their bench.

At the other end, there are still positives to build on, with Rio Ngumoha continuing to impress, as John Aldridge noted after the Fulham game: “Rio should have played the 94 mins, he’s young enough and certainly good enough! MOM”

Ultimately, Barcola’s return doesn’t change the objective for us, but it does underline just how big a challenge this second leg will be, especially if PSG are able to call on fresh attacking options late in the game.