Team News: Darwin Nunez starts for Liverpool against Real Madrid

Darwin Nunez has been passed fit to start for Liverpool against Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at Anfield.

The Uruguayan striker had emerged as a doubt due to a shoulder injury sustained in the weekend's Premier League win over Newcastle United, but he took part in full training on Monday.

Nunez has been given the green light to line up in an unchanged Liverpool XI, as Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo unsurprisingly join the 23-year-old in the final third.

Should Salah score in tonight's game, he will draw level with Didier Drogba as the highest-scoring African player in Champions League history, currently sitting on 43 goals compared to the Ivorian's 44.

Teenage midfielder Stefan Bajcetic is rewarded for his breakthrough with a start in the engine room, while Joe Gomez wins the battle with Joel Matip to partner Virgil van Dijk at the back.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid have manager to recover Toni Kroos from illness at the last minute, but the German is only named on the bench after flying over to England earlier on Tuesday.

Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde join Luka Modric in midfield, while Karim Benzema has recovered from muscular fatigue to join Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior in attack.

Liverpool starting lineup: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Bajcetic, Fabinho, Henderson; Salah, Nunez, Gakpo

Subs: Adrian, Kelleher, Matip, Tsimikas, Milner, Keita, Jones, Elliott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Carvalho, Jota, Firmino

Real Madrid starting lineup: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Alaba; Valverde, Camavinga, Modric; Rodrygo, Benzema, Vinicius Jr

Subs: Lunin, Arribas, Vazquez, Vallejo, Odriozola, Nacho, Kroos, Ceballos, Martin, Alvaro, Hazard, Asensio