Gonzalo garcia

UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti faces an injury crisis as his side prepares for arguably the most important match of the season so far when it visits Liverpool's Anfield Stadium on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League. Two defeats from their opening four matches have left the reigning champions in a delicate situation in the new-look format.

Madrid are in the 18th place in the 36-team group, knowing that only the top eight teams directly book their places in the knockout stages, with the teams sitting between ninth and 24th needing to win a playoff to progress to the last 16, reports Xinhua.

Although it's hard to imagine Ancelotti's side finishing out of the top 24, Madrid's fixture schedule for the start of the year is already packed with the Spanish Supercup and Copa del Rey games as well as La Liga, and a Champions League playoff would mean a two-month spell with games every weekend and midweek, putting stress on a squad already suffering with an intense fixture calendar.