Xabi Alonso has joked that he would consider playing again should Bayer Leverkusen chief executive Fernando Carro give him a playing contract to ease the club's injury problems.

Alonso, 43, retired at the end of the 2016/17 season but notably played for Liverpool Legends against Manchester United in the second instalment of the 'Legends of the North' charity match at Anfield only two years ago. After the game, our Liverpool FC writer Theo Squires claimed he "could still play," and Alonso has now left that possibility open, albeit with tongue firmly in cheek.

The comments come as Leverkusen are without six first-team players for their Champions League match against RB Salzburg. Despite having only 13 outfield players, Alonso remains upbeat.

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During his pre-match press conference, the German tabloid Bild asked Alonso whether he could play in their upcoming game. Alonso replied, "Not yet." Looking toward the club's CEO inside their media centre at the BayArena, he claimed: "If Fernando gives me a player's contract, maybe.

"With just a contract as a coach, you are not allowed to play," Alonso clarified. Carro chuckled at the response from his head coach.

Their lack of available players is not a laughing matter, though, with Amine Adli, Jeanuel Belocian, Victor Boniface, Jonas Hofmann, Nordi Mukiele and Martin Terrier all absent. The former two and the latter two were also absent at Anfield, with Boniface and Hofmann now joining their teammates on the sidelines.

Such is the extent of their struggles that Alonso acknowledged three youth players will make their matchday squad on Tuesday night. Ben Hawighorst, 16, Francis Onyeka and Artem Stepanov, 17, are the trio's names. Another 16-year-old, Andrea Natali, and Othniel Raterink, aged 18, were involved in their final training session.