The latest Liverpool team news, injury update and predicted XI ahead of their opening Premier League fixture against Newcastle.
Liverpool get their Premier League season underway this Sunday with a trip to St. James’ Park – and do so with a number of questions surrounding their squad, with much of their transfer business still unresolved heading into the opening weekend.
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New head coach Andoni Iraola has several headaches on his hand. There is a huge gap to fill on the right wing following the departure of Mohamed Salah, while new signings Jérémy Jacquet and Ronald Araújo are competing for a place at centre-back – and to complicate matters further, five players are expected to miss out through injury.
With so many difficult decisions facing Iraola ahead of the game against a Newcastle side who have worries of their own, we’ve collected all of the latest Liverpool team news and injury updates below, along with our prediction for their likely starting line-up.
Who will play on the right for Liverpool – and will Jacquet or Araújo start in defence?
Jérémy Jacquet is among the players battling for a starting placeplaceholder image
Jérémy Jacquet is among the players battling for a starting place | Getty Images
Perhaps the thorniest issue facing Iraola is the lack of a clear-cut option on the right wing – Liverpool are still in negotiations with PSG regarding the potential signings of Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye but with neither deal agreed at the time of writing, Iraola will have to get creative.
Options include new signing Victor Muñoz and rising star Rio Ngumoha. The latter got the start in Liverpool’s final pre-season friendly against Como, hinting that he may have an edge, but Muñoz has more experience of playing on the right wing.
Perhaps a more likely solution for Iraola is playing Dominik Szoboszlai on the right, a position he took up last winter under Arne Slot. The downside to that plan is that it would likely necessitate starting Alexis Mac Allister in midfield, who has played less than an hour in pre-season after being given an extended break following his exploits at the World Cup.
At centre-back, Iraola has a straight choice between playing £60m new signing Jacquet, who has just returned to action after long-term injury, and Barcelona loanee Araújo. The pair both played 45 minutes each against Como alongside Virgil van Dijk, and neither player enjoyed a full pre-season. Jacquet started the final friendly and scored, perhaps suggesting that he is in the lead as it stands.
Five Liverpool players out ahead of Newcastle clash
Hugo Ekitiké is one of Liverpool's long-term injury victimsplaceholder image
Hugo Ekitiké is one of Liverpool's long-term injury victims | Getty Images
One player who isn’t expected to be a part of the equation at centre-back is Giovanni Leoni, who has yet to return to full training as he recovers from an ACL injury which wrecked his first season at Anfield.
The Italian is targeting a return in the coming weeks, but is unlikely to be in the matchday squad on Sunday. Joe Gomez is likewise unavailable, with the defender targeting an early-mid September return after sustaining an unspecified muscular injury in pre-season.
Long-term injury victims include Conor Bradley, who is unlikely to play until early 2027 after his own knee ligament injury, and striker Hugo Ekitiké, who is hoping to return in October following a calf injury which required surgery. Youngster Jayden Danns is also unavailable having not played since March due to a thigh problem.
While there has also been speculation concerning the future of winger Cody Gakpo, a transfer target for Tottenham Hotspur, the Dutchman started on the left wing in recent friendlies against Como and Monaco and seems likely to do so again. Should transfer talks advance quickly over the weekend, then Ngumoha or Muñoz could deputise.
Predicted Liverpool starting XI vs. Newcastle (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Kerkez, Van Dijk, Jacquet, Frimpong; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Gakpo, Wirtz, Szoboszlai; Isak.