Jamie Carragher is hopeful Thiago Alcantara will be fit to play in the Champions League final against Real Madrid as Liverpool face an anxious wait over his fitness.
The Spaniard was forced off with an Achilles injury during the win over Wolves on the final day of the season leaving the Reds to sweat over his fitness as they look to win their seventh European crown in Paris on Saturday. Carragher revealed that there is a "50/50" chance that the midfielder could feature against Carlo Ancelotti's side.
Fabinho is also a concern ahead of the showpiece final after he withdrew in the first-half during Liverpool's win over Aston Villa and has missed the previous three. But the 44-year-old is mildly confident that Thiago will feature in a 'boost' for their chances.
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"Not (just) because he’s been there and done it, if we don’t have him our midfield will almost be set up in a way, or people frame it this way, they’ve got to stop Kroos and Modric, get after them, close them down, press them," he told the Blood Red podcast. "If Thiago’s there it’s ‘I’m as good as you, we’ll have the ball you can try and chase us’.
"That might still be the case, I don’t think Real Madrid are a team that will dominate us possession-wise. A lot of the time they sit back and wait for the opposition and see how they play, that’s Ancelotti’s way.
"I’m not thinking if Thiago’s not there we’re not going to get a kick of the ball, I still think the way we play we’re a lot better on the ball than we were four years ago when we played them in the Champions League final where that was a case of the only way we can win this is the press, counter-press and it proved to be the case. I think there’s more to us now and if Thiago is there, it gives us a massive opportunity.
"I’m hearing it’s 50/50, fingers crossed he can just make it. If someone says to me it’s 50/50 it’s the European Cup final you’re not missing it, are you.
"With Thiago and Fabinho together, they’re undefeated or lost one, it’s something really strong basically. I think it will be a big miss especially with Fabinho not being 100 per cent but I’m hopeful."
