The two sides will meet in the competition for the first time in 14 years – their last meeting was the final in 2007, in which AC Milan won their seventh European Cup and got revenge on Liverpool for the loss in the final fixture of 2005’s instalment of the tournament.

Liverpool will be looking to mount a strong challenge for the continental crown and equal the Rossoneri’s haul after picking up their sixth in 2019.

The injury crisis of 2020-21 is in the past – Liverpool reached the quarter-finals without several key figures of their squad – but Liverpool will still be without several players for their opening European fixture of the season.

Jurgen Klopp’s men will be without Harvey Elliott, who underwent surgery for his dislocated ankle on Tuesday.

This follows the fracture-dislocation to the left ankle he sustained during last weekend’s victory over Leeds United.

Roberto Firmino and Takumi Minamino were both absent at Elland Road on Sunday as they recover from previous issues but no other injury or fitness concerns were raised by Klopp in Tuesday’s press conference.

Furthermore, Minamino was pictured training with the squad at Kirkby on Liverpool’s social media accounts on Tuesday.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and on-loan midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko are unavailable for the visitors after they named a 21-man travelling squad for the fixture, with both players absent due to injury.

Lineups

Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson; Trent, Matip, Gomez, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Keita; Jota, Origi, Salah.

Subs: Adrian, Kelleher, Van Dijk, Konate, Thiago, Milner, Mané, Tsimikas, Phillips, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jones, Minamino.

AC Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Calabria, Kjaer, Tomori, Theo H.; Bennacer, Kessie; Saelemakers, Diaz, Leao; Rebic.

Subs: Tatarusanu, Ballo-Touré, Tonali, Giroud, Romagnoli, Kalulu, Florenzi, Maldini, Gabbia, Jungdal.

Odds

Liverpool 2/5

Draw 15/4

AC Milan 11/2

Where To Watch

Liverpool v AC Milan will be available to watch on Virgin Media and BT Sport 2 with kick-off set for 8 pm.

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Despite his ripe age – in footballing terms – Zlatan Ibrahimović is showing no sign of slowing down. The legendary striker has scored 10 league goals in just 6 games this season, propelling his side to the top of the Serie A.

Once one of Europe’s elite clubs, AC Milan’s fear factor has dwindled in recent years after a barren spell of domestic mediocrity. In fact, the Rossoneri have not won a league title since the 2010-11 season. A season where Zlatan played his part as he scored 14 league goals whilst on loan from FC Barcelona.

10 years on and Zlatan is back at the helm, having joined on a free transfer in December 2019. Initially the striker joined on a six-month contract. After some impressive displays, though, his contract was extended until the summer of 2021.

After years of domestic failure, can AC Milan finally finish as champions?

Ibrahimović’s goalscoring form has helped reinvigorate AC Milan this season, thus far. His performances in October helped him secure Serie A player of the month. He continued that form into November with equally impressive displays. He scored a brace yesterday as Milan overcame a strong Napoli side to top the league. Unfortunately, though, the striker was forced off towards the end of the game with an apparent hamstring injury. The severity of the injury is yet to be confirmed. However, Initial reports suggest the talismanic figure may miss weeks of action.

Milan will be forced to rely on their other striking options in the absence of Ibrahimović. His return will be a welcome one, but Milan will hope his absence can be filled appropriately.

Despite the season only being in it’s early stages, some have tipped Milan for the league title. The performances of Zlatan have no doubt been helped by his teammates. A number of other Milan players have also been ever-present this season. Ismaël Bennacer, Theo Hernández and Sandro Tonali are just some of the many examples of talent within the current AC Milan camp.

Ibrahimović, of course, has a wealth of title winning experience under his belt, particularly in the Serie A. He has an impressive collection of Serie A titles while playing for AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus*.

* indicates revocation of titles due to match fixing.

In total, the striker has won 10 league titles over his career in 6 different countries. He’ll be hoping to add that collection this season by helping Milan to a title that has been so evasive over the years.

The search for European football’s ultimate prize

In his illustrious career, Zlatan has won trophies that the average footballer can only dream of. One trophy that has evaded him, however, is the UEFA Champions League. Unfortunately, there is no chance of the striker claiming that trophy this season with Milan competing in the Europa League.

Saying that, this AC Milan team is clearly a team with lofty ambitions. The addition of their summer signings along with their previous roster makes up one of the strongest Milan sides in recent years. They’re well on the way to a top 4 finish so far, which would mean a Champions League spot. Although it would be an enormous challenge, with good recruitment and guidance the Italian giants may have an outside chance of winning the competition next season.

Obviously, for him to even have a chance of winning the Champions League with Milan, Ibrahimović would have to extend his contract with the club. If he can maintain his form and avoid further injuries, a renewal would almost be certain, barring retirement. Despite his age, a retirement would be unlikely, though. The Swedish striker only recently considered an international return, a request which was turned down by Sweden manager Janne Andersson.

Time will tell what happens in the coming years. One thing that is certain, though, is Ibrahimović’s status as one of the greatest to play the game.

Timeless pic.twitter.com/pMSMKcavhC

— Zlatan Ibrahimović (@Ibra_official) NOVEMBER 23, 2020

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