The Premier League champions are aiming to lay down a very early marker when they face Crystal Palace in the Community Shield on Sunday.
The 16-time winners of this fixture return to Wembley off the back of title glory in 2024–25, but Arne Slot’s squad is much-changed from last season’s success. Europe’s biggest spenders are refreshed at full-back and star-studded in attack, with only Slot’s efficient engine room from last season left untouched.
The array of new faces means there’s plenty of intrigue surrounding the champions, and, for many, this will be their first glimpse of the new-look Reds.
Here’s how they could line up for Sunday’s Community Shield against last season’s FA Cup winners.
Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. Crystal Palace (4-2-3-1)
GK: Giorgi Mamardashvili—Alisson left Liverpool’s preseason tour early for personal reasons, and didn’t feature in either game on Monday. His absence shouldn’t drag into the season, but he may not be involved on Sunday.
RB: Jeremie Frimpong—Slot has said he sees Frimpong as providing mitigation further upfield when Salah’s not around, but the Dutch live wire will be used at right-back here.
CB: Ibrahima Konaté—The Frenchman is entering the final year of his Liverpool contract, and the Reds won’t want his situation to drag like the three amigos’ did last term.
CB: Virgil van Dijk—Van Dijk missed Monday’s double-header through illness, but will start on Sunday even if he isn’t 100%.
LB: Milos Kerkez—The Hungarian international has slotted in seamlessly since arriving from Bournemouth, and will quickly emerge as a staple of Slot’s backline.
CM: Ryan Gravenberch—A revelatory figure last season, Gravenberch has been used in defence and midfield in pre-season. With Liverpool’s starting defenders returning, the Dutch midfielder should be stationed in his usual role.
CM: Dominik Szoboszlai—Szoboszlai has been one of the big winners of Liverpool’s summer. He’s been used deeper by Slot in recent outings, and it looks like he’s going to prise minutes away from the imperious Alexis Mac Allister.
RW: Mohamed Salah—Liverpool’s four horsemen begins with Salah. While the Reds should be less dependent on the Egyptian this season, he remains an inevitable figure down the right.
AM: Florian Wirtz—Yeah, he looks the part. It won’t take Anfield long to take to their record signing.
LW: Cody Gakpo—The Dutch winger has seen his competition reduced this summer, and he’s responded with goals in three of Liverpool’s preseason outings, including two against Athletic Club on Monday.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. Crystal Palace: Slot Deploys Fresh Faces.
