Liverpool’s flight to Frankfurt delayed because of ‘technical issues’ with plane

Liverpool’s issues on the field were reflected off it as a mechanical problem with the team’s plane meant they were unable to leave Merseyside on time for the Champions League trip to Eintracht Frankfurt.

Head coach Arne Slot, who is seeking to prevent the club losing a fifth successive match for the first time in 73 years, and midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai were due to address the media at Deutsche Bank Park at 7.30pm local time.

However, 40 minutes before the scheduled start the club cancelled their press conference as they had not left the country at that point.

“Our pre-match press conference for the clash with Eintracht Frankfurt has been cancelled,” read a statement.

“A delay in the squad’s scheduled flight out to Frankfurt, due to technical issues with the aircraft, means the briefing will now not be able to take place.”

It is understood the team was eventually due to take off just over three hours after their scheduled departure, meaning they would arrive in Germany before Frankfurt’s airport closed at 11pm.

The squad trained at their base in Kirkby at lunchtime ahead of their scheduled trip but midfielder Ryan Gravenberch was absent.

The Netherlands international sustained an ankle injury during Sunday’s defeat to Manchester United but was able to complete 62 minutes before being withdrawn as part of a wholesale tactical change by Slot.

Curtis Jones was introduced in his place against United and could play the deep-lying role the Dutchman has excelled in since the start of last season.

It is likely he will start alongside Szoboszlai, who has been shunted around the team to accommodate other players, with the pair behind an attacking front four.

Wataru Endo has returned to training after a hamstring injury but appears unlikely to be considered for Gravenberch’s role in Germany.

Striker Hugo Ekitike looks set to start against the club he left in the summer, along with £100million signing from Bayer Leverkusen Florian Wirtz, who was also a substitute at the weekend.

Slot’s big decision appears to be whether to rest an out-of-form Mohamed Salah, as he did in their last Champions League match at Galatasaray, as he seeks to avoid a fifth straight loss – something which has not happened to the club since 1953.

Should he do so, Jeremie Frimpong, another player who was playing in the Bundesliga last season, or Federico Chiesa would come into consideration.

Frankfurt head coach Dino Toppmoller, son of Klaus who was coach of Bayer Leverkusen when they beat Liverpool in the 2002 quarter-finals, played down their opponents’ poor run of form.

“Liverpool are lacking that little bit of energy at the moment, for whatever reason,” he told a press conference.

“They have been the better team in every game they have played recently and have had the better chances. We will face a world-class team.”