Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is set to start summer signings Alisson and Naby Keita against big spending West Ham United on Sunday.
Liverpool will be hoping to get their new Premier League campaign off to a flying start, when they take on West Ham United at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
The Reds come into the game after a solid pre-season and manager Jurgen Klopp will be hopeful that his charges are able to translate that form into the game against Manuel Pellegrini’s side at home and lead Liverpool to their 500th Premier League win.
The match is likely to see Klopp hand new signing Alisson Becker his Premier League debut between the sticks, after having spent £66 million to sign him from AS Roma this summer.
Trent Alexander-Arnold returned sooner than expected from his extended holiday after the 2018 FIFA World Cup and should start ahead of Nathaniel Clyne at right-back. Scottish international Andrew Robertson is the first-choice left-back ahead of Alberto Moreno and should feature from the get-go on Sunday.
The central defensive area is a bit of an issue for Klopp and Liverpool. Croatia’s World Cup hero Dejan Lovren is set to miss the game due to lack of match fitness, while Joel Matip and Ragnar Klavan are injury doubts.
Speaking of the defensive situation ahead of the game, the Liverpool manager said in his pre-match press conference, “Dejan will not be available for the weekend, that’s how it is. Ragnar, no real chance, he didn’t train. Joel did yesterday parts of training like Joe did – we will see how they are today.”
Joe Gomez has returned to training after sitting out in the friendly against Torino and should be set to partner Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the defence, looking to stop the dangerous Marko Arnautovic.
Summer signing Naby Keita is a guaranteed starter in one of the three midfield slots for the Merseysiders. The Guinean looked the part in pre-season and will be keen on making an instant impact in the Premier League.
However, fellow new arrival Fabinho is a major doubt to feature on Sunday, having picked up an injury in his last appearance for Liverpool, following which he was taken ill.
“The [Fabinho’s] scan was clear. It was only a check-up and the scan was clear, but he felt ill when he came back so we sent him home again. Obviously he was not feeling really well so we sent him home again and I didn’t see him so far and I didn’t ask anybody, so we will see,” Klopp said of the Brazilian.
That would mean club captain Jordan Henderson will be rushed back into action despite returning late after his extended vacation post a busy summer with England. He will start as the deepest of the three midfielders, with Keita on one side and Georginio Wijnaldum on the other.
Another of Liverpool’s summer signings, Xherdan Shaqiri, is likely to start on the bench, with the Liverpool boss unlikely to tinker with the attacking trio of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, who slayed defences for fun last season.
