Centre-backs are thin on the ground for Liverpool as they face up to a second pre-season friendly of the summer, facing Wrexham in New York City.
The Reds came out on top in their first outing of the summer against Sunderland last week but lost Joe Gomez to injury less than ten minutes in.
With Ibrahima Konate having left the club and Giovanni Leoni still in recovery from an ACL rupture, that leaves Virgil van Dijk as the club’s only fit senior centre-back. He has reported for pre-season but is still undergoing fitness work on Merseyside. The summer signing Jeremy Jacquet was not deemed match fit against Sunderland and is not expected to feature here, either.
It will be a youthful centre-back pairing against Wrexham, then, with Mor Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe, who is not eligible to play competitive matches for Liverpool’s first team, expected to get the nod. Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong will take up the full-back roles.
Dominik Szoboszlai should be in line for a more substantial test here after impressing against Sunderland, and could replace Curtis Jones in the lineup, starting next to James McConnell.
Harvey Elliott bagged an assist as he started last time out, and he should hold on to the No10 position as he looks to play his way into contention under Andoni Iraola. Rio Ngumoha will only benefit from playing more competitive minutes and should keep his place, too.
Iraola may be tempted to test Federico Chiesa up top once more after he scored off the bench last time out, playing as a striker. Iraola may be keen to see him in the team from the off in a new attacking combination.
Liverpool predicted XI vs Wrexham: Mamardashvili; Kerkez, Ndiaye, Nduckwe, Frimpong; Szoboszlai, McConnell; Ngumoha, Elliott, Morrison; Chiesa
Injured: Gomez, Leoni, Ekitike, Bradley, Jacquet
Time and date: 12.30am BST on Thursday July 30
Venue: Yankee Stadium, New York City
