Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has claimed that Gareth Bale's absence will mean little when they tackle Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The £85m signing from Tottenham Hotspur has been ruled out of Madrid's trip to Anfield with a hip problem.
However, Rodgers feels that Real's strength in depth in attacking areas, and the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo, whom the Reds boss describes as "the best player in the world", means that the Spaniards will not miss Bale greatly.
"Gareth Bale is a world-class player with fantastic speed and fantastic talent, but with the squad Real Madrid have they can bring in players like Isco so I don't think really it's an advantage if he doesn't play," he told reporters. "It's still going to be a very difficult game for us, they have a squad full of top-class players.
"Of course there is a special talent in Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the best player in the world at the moment, and his evolution from being a soloist who scores goals to a goalscorer is there to see and his record is incredible.
"But we have to make a plan for our team first to ensure we cause Real Madrid problems and then prepare yourself for the quality players they have, but that will be as a team."
Welshman Bale has scored five goals in 12 Los Blancos appearances this season.
Joe Fish
