Overview
- Liverpool's charter was grounded at John Lennon Airport for roughly three to four hours, with the squad taking off at 7:51 p.m. local time and arriving before Frankfurt's arrivals curfew.
- The delay forced the cancellation of Arne Slot’s scheduled pre-match media duties in Frankfurt, creating a technical breach of UEFA Article 48.
- Precedent suggests disciplinary action is unlikely, as past cases have excused clubs when delays were beyond their control.
- A 21-man squad traveled without Ryan Gravenberch due to an ankle injury, with Alisson and other long-term absentees still out and Wataru Endo cleared to make the trip.
- Liverpool enter on a four-game losing run and face the risk of a first five-match skid since 1953, with Slot rejecting the disruption as an excuse and Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz under consideration for starts.