Liverpool could be punished by UEFA after they appeared to break Champions League rules with their team selection for Tuesday night’s clash against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.

Rule 4.01, subsection d, clearly states that all teams competing in Europe’s premier club competition are required to field their strongest teams throughout the competition - but Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers may have fallen foul of this regulation.

Rodgers left first-team regulars Glen Johnson, Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Philippe Coutinho, Raheem Sterling and Mario Balotelli all on the substitutes’ bench - opting instead to deploy what appeared to be a significantly weakened team.

It’s believed Rodgers may have made the decision with Saturday’s Premier League clash against Chelsea in mind. The Reds, who finished last season second in the Premier League table, have struggled this season - and were beaten 1-0 by Newcastle United in their previous outing, last Saturday.

But Rodgers’ decision to field a weakened team attracted strong criticism on social media, with former England striker - and current Match of the Day presenter - Gary Lineker stating the starting line-up was "unbefitting of a club of Liverpool's European stature" and that they had given up before the game had even began.