Arne Slot is set to include a number of high-potential youngsters in his Liverpool squad for Monday’s pre-season friendly double-header against Athletic Club.
The Reds will face their Spanish opponents twice in one evening with 5pm and 8pm kickoffs at Anfield to round off their pre-season friendlies.
Designed as a final warmup for the Community Shield, it will give Slot the opportunity to assess his entire squad before the campaign kicks off proper.
With no player expected to play more than 90 minutes over the two games, the head coach will need a bigger group than usual.
This Is Anfield understands that has seen Slot turn to Liverpool’s academy, with many of the club’s young hopefuls in line for a place in either squad.
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - Wednesday, August 21, 2024: Liverpool's Kieran Morrison during the Premier League International Cup Group C match between Liverpool FC Under-21's and PSV Eindhoven's Under-21's at the Liverpool Academy. PSV won 4-0. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Kieran Morrison, the 18-year-old attacking midfielder who was involved in the first friendly of pre-season against Preston, will be one of those back in the fold.
This comes after the Northern Irishman came on for the final 30 minutes in the Liverpool U21s’ 0-0 friendly draw with Hull on Saturday.
U21s head coach Rob Page made 10 substitutions on the hour mark, suggesting those that came on were more likely to be in contention for the first-team friendlies.
Kaide Gordon, Trent Kone-Doherty, Amara Nallo, Wellity Lucky, Tommy Pilling, Michael Laffey, Terence Miles, Josh Davidson and new signing Will Wright also played half an hour at the weekend.
Whether that means all of those players will be involved, or that those who clocked an hour for the U21s won’t be, remains to be seen.
But with Slot still able to field two different XIs made up of first-team players the Dutchman can be selective over who joins the senior squad at Anfield.
The expectation is that Liverpool’s strongest available lineup will start one game with a rotated XI for the other, in order to better prepare for the Community Shield on Sunday and then the Premier League opener on August 15.
Morrison, Pilling and Nallo were all involved for the 3-1 win at Preston last month before being cut from the travelling squad for Hong Kong and Japan.
Lewis Koumas came off the bench in that game but also did not travel to Asia, instead spending the rest of pre-season with the U21s.
It is still unknown at this stage whether Alisson, James McConnell, Federico Chiesa or Jayden Danns will be available against Athletic Club.