MADRID - Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has ruled out playing Eden Hazard in Tuesday's home Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Liverpool, saying he will not risk another injury setback for his club's record signing.

Belgian Hazard, ravaged by injuries since joining Real from Chelsea in 2019, returned to training on Friday ahead of schedule from his latest muscle problem but played no part in Saturday's 2-0 win over Eibar.

Gareth Southgate made the surprising decision to keep Liverpool fullback Trent Alexander-Arnold off his England squad for March’s World Cup qualifiers. The 22-year-old, who was named to the PFA Team of the Year the last two seasons, wasn’t deemed good enough for the Three Lions, perhaps a victim of his club’s poor run of form.

The manager of the Egypt national under-23 team, Shawky Gharib, hinted at the presence of Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah at the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics.

"The only senior player who has been chosen is Mohamed Salah, he's one of the three best players in the world," the coach said. "The remaining choices will depend on the team's need." 

According to a report by David Ornstein of The Athletic, Liverpool is in the process of finalizing a move for RB Leipzig central defender Ibrahima Konate. 

Holder Bayern Munich will face the team it beat in last year's Champions League final in this season's quarterfinals after being paired with Paris Saint-Germain in Friday's draw.

In the other standout tie of the last eight 13-time champions Real Madrid faces six-time winner Liverpool in a repeat of the 2018 final won by the Spanish club.

Runaway Premier League leader Manchester City, seeking its first Champions League title, will play Borussia Dortmund, with the winner to face Bayern or PSG in the semifinals.

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization officially declared Covid-19 a pandemic. To be as straight-up as possible, this was the day that shit hit the fan for Americans.

March 11 was the turning point for the U.S. and the moment the severity of the virus became real for so many. In the span of only a couple hours the NBA shut down, Tom Hanks tested positive and Donald Trump announced plans for a European travel ban.

March 11, 2020 was surreal. pic.twitter.com/kjb0p0Cej3

Jurgen Klopp will breathe a sigh of relief on Wednesday night. Liverpool finally put away an indifferent RB Leipzig with a 2-0 win at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, completing a 4-0 aggregate victory in the Champions League Round of 16. But this was far from a return to form for the defending Premier League champions, and it wasn’t the type of performance that will inspire a turning point in Liverpool’s season.