Liverpool suffer ENORMOUS UEFA Champions League blow | OneFootball

Liverpool have suffered an enormous blow to their UEFA Champions League hopes. The Reds are going through it this season.

Liverpool aren't winning the Premier League this season. That much is clear at this point.

Their form this season hasn't been good enough, with the Reds suffering their worst run in 70 years at one stage. Things have improved since then - but Liverpool are hardly flying.

But there's still a chance in the UEFA Champions League. Liverpool's form hasn't been great in that either, but they've got an opportunity to compete as long as they get out of the league stage.

Though, there's an extra reason why pushing on to win the competition could be valuable. Liverpool are in danger of not qualifying for next year's edition, such is their place in the Premier League.

Now, it's likely that finishing in the top five is enough. Liverpool are fourth, but also eight points behind third-placed Aston Villa. Either point beneath them? 14th-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

The Reds are far from confirmed to be playing in the Champions League next season. With that in mind, recent news is a real blow to those chances.

Liverpool's injury crisis

Liverpool have suffered injury problems this season, with Giovanni Leoni ruled out for the campaign early on. Alexander Isak is out indefinitely, too, after his leg fracture.

But we'd argue that the latest injury is the biggest blow. Conor Bradley is out for the season with a knee injury, one that has required surgery.

It's an injury that creates a lot of issues. Jeremie Frimpong is the natural replacement at right-back but he's been used as a winger in Mo Salah's absence.

On top of that, his injury record hasn't been good this season. It's frequently seen Dominik Szoboszlai play right-back, with Curtis Jones playing a couple of games there, too.

Only, Arne Slot has made Liverpool more solid recently by packing the midfield. He can't do that properly if he's having to drag options out to right-back - not without running midfielders into the ground, anyway.

Joe Gomez is another option out there but then he's needed to cover at centre-back as Leoni is out. Gomez's injury record is another that hasn't been great, too.

It's difficult to see how Slot manages this situation comfortably. He needs to keep Liverpool competitive in the Premier League and Champions League for the rest of the season - but with limited options.