All eyes will be on Wembley as English football’s two best teams go head to head in the Community Shield.
As the trophy itself is not exactly coveted by international superstar footballers, getting one over on expected title rivals is perhaps more important on the day for both Liverpool and Manchester City.
One thing is for sure, both managers will be picking their strongest starting line-ups and seeking to lay down a marker for the coming season.
But with a few star names only returning to training this week after Copa America duty, and one or two not scheduled until next week, both teams will be below full strength.
Liverpool’s front three of Sadio Mane, Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino are all doubts, with Mane not yet back at their Melwood training ground and the latter pair only back this week.
Jurgen Klopp is unlikely to feel this game is important enough to rush Salah and Firmino back into the first team.
Pep Guardiola will take a similar view of Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus, while Riyad Mahrez is not expected back in time to be in contention at all.
Without a recognised striker, Guardiola has been playing Sterling in that role in pre-season, and he is favourite to take the role at Wembley.
Midfield tells a similar story, with Liverpool unwilling to risk Naby Keita and City not prepared to push Fernandinho – who had a knee injury at Copa America – back into action too quickly.
The Scousers’ first-choice defence played against Napoli at the weekend, and City have only the injured Benjamin Mendy missing from their back four.
Both have a Brazil keeper, so Alisson and Ederson are both back this week – they may start, but again their respective managers may see their late return as a good excuse to give a prestige game to Simon Mignolet and Claudio Bravo.
LIKELY LINE-UPS
Liverpool: Mignolet; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Milner; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Origi, Lallana
City: Bravo, Walker, Stones, Laporte, Zinchenko; De Bruyne, Rodri, Foden; Bernardo, Sterling, Sane
