Real Madrid being drawn with Liverpool in the Champions League will see Sergio Ramos and Mohamed Salah resume their hostilities for the first time since the 2017/18 Champions League final, although Roberto Carlos has joked that the Egyptian won’t go near the Spanish defender.
In the first half of the final in Kiev, a coming-together between the two players saw Salah suffer a serious shoulder injury and have to be substituted off, which also put his 2018 World Cup preparations into difficulty.
Liverpool fans have since held Ramos as public enemy number one on Merseyside, although the lack of fans at Anfield will ensure the Spanish captain has a much easier evening than he perhaps could have.
“Salah isn’t even going to get close to Sergio,” Carlos joked, speaking to the media after the draw.
“It will be an incident that will be talked about a lot.”
Zinedine Zidane’s charges aren’t seen as having anything other than an outside chance of lifting the Champions League trophy again this term, but the former Brazilian left-back believes that Los Blancos’ form gives them a slight edge over Liverpool.
“We’re going to play against a good team,” he added.
“The first match is at home, and Real Madrid’s form is much better, they must decide the tie at home.
“The important thing is that Zidane has all his players ready, and that the injured ones come back as quickly as possible.”