Liverpool vs Bayern: Roberto Firmino misses training with a virus ahead of crunch Champions League clash

The Brazil international faces a race against time to be fit for Tuesday night's game, where Liverpool are already without their first-choice central defensive partnership

Roberto Firmino has missed training ahead of Liverpool FC's clash with Bayern Munich on Tuesday night.

The Brazilian forward was absent with a virus as the Reds prepared for the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie with the Bundesliga giants.

Virgil van Dijk is already suspended and will miss the game for Jurgen Klopp's side, while Dejan Lovren is also out and Trent Alexander-Arnold is a doubt.

It means that Joel Matip and Fabinho will almost certainly be the central defensive partnership for the match-up with Bayern, arguably the Reds' biggest game of the season so far.

If Firmino cannot recover from his virus in time then Xherdan Shaqiri would be favourite to enter the starting XI, with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane certain to start if fit.

Bayern have some selection issues of their own, with Thomas Muller suspended and neither Franck Ribery or Jerome Boateng flying to Merseyside with the team.

Ribery may still make the trip after the birth of his child but the former France international has also been struggling with a muscular issue while Boateng is having gastrointestinal problems and is unlikely to travel to England.