Atletico Madrid are set to be without Arnau Ortiz for their Champions League opener against Liverpool.The Spanish giants head to Merseyside once again in a repeat of one of the League Phase contests last year, but Ortiz can’t play due to a red card from August 2024.Liverpool came out on top the last time these sides met thanks to a Virgil van Dijk stoppage-time winnerGettyOrtiz was playing for Polish side Slask Wroclaw, and they were playing a Conference League tie against Swiss outfit St Gallen.The 24-year-old came on in extra time after a great comeback from his team to make the match 3-3 on aggregate.He was booked for diving before receiving a second yellow for protesting about the decision.Since then, Ortiz hasn’t played in any European competition or involved with a team in Europe as Slask Wroclaw were knocked out.As a result, he serves his one match ban at Anfield.Ortiz joined Atletico Madrid‘s second team in the summer of 2025 from Slask Wroclaw after initially heading to Poland from Girona in 2024.But after a stunning year last season for the B team, he’s been promoted to be part of Diego Simeone‘s squad.Ortiz scored 23 goals and provided six assists, and has made three LaLiga appearances so far.He actually started the 2-0 win over Malaga on the opening weekend before appearing as a substitute against Sevilla and Athletic Club.Simeone has actually been deprived of someone who had a good chance of playing some role in the game.Simeone has enjoyed a mixed bag at AnfieldGettyOrtiz will have to wait to make his Champions League debutGettyLiverpool vs Atletico MadridLast season, this match ended in a 3-2 win for Liverpool as Virgil van Dijk scored a late winner.But it has been the scene of heartbreak for the Reds as well.Perhaps the most famous being the Champions League meeting just before the COVID pandemic in which Atletico ended the Reds’ hopes of winning it again after success the year before.New Liverpool signing Bradley Barcola, a two-time winner of the Champions League, could make his first start for the Reds.The France international made his debut for Liverpool last Friday as he came on in the second half of a win at Ipswich Town.Speaking after the 2-0 win over Ipswich, Andoni Iraola said: “Bradley hadn’t played a single minute since the World Cup so we needed to be careful.“He is training well, in a good place, and I think that he has helped us. Probably, we haven’t found him in a couple of situations where I think he was going against the ‘keeper, but we haven’t really seen his movements.“He has had a very good counter, very good passing side. He was always a threat.“When he carries the ball, I think you can feel this threat and I’m happy because I think 30 minutes is going to be good for his fitness, for his build-up, and we will continue because now we play a lot of games, so he will have a chance to play more.”talkSPORT will have live commentary of the match with Andy Gray making his return to UK broadcasting as part of the team.