Liverpool line-ups for Darmstadt as Curtis Jones and Luis Diaz decisions made
Ian Doyle - Gomez at right-back as Trent moves forward
The time for pretending is almost over. But, in truth, Jurgen Klopp probably won't want to experiment too much in Liverpool's final pre-season friendly.
Bundesliga side SV Darmstadt are the opposition at Preston this evening and we will surely get a glimpse of how the Reds will line up against Chelsea in their Premier League opener on Sunday.
What, then, should that be?
Well, it's Alisson Becker in goal. And I'd have Ibrahima Konate partnering Virgil van Dijk at centre-back with Andy Robertson at left-back.
However, at right-back I would start with Joe Gomez, because Trent Alexander-Arnold is going into midfield as the number six.
In the rest of the engine room, Dominik Szoboszlai is to the left with Alexis Mac Allister to his right. If Mac Allister isn't risked, then Szoboszlai can fill the right-hand role and Curtis Jones to the left.
Up top, Cody Gakpo leads the line with Mohamed Salah to his right and Diogo Jota on the opposite flank.
My team (4-3-3): Alisson; Gomez, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Alexander-Arnold, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Gakpo, Jota
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Barring a breakthrough in Liverpool’s pursuit of Romeo Lavia this week, you’d expect the starting midfield against SV Darmstadt to be the same engine-room that gets given the nod against Chelsea on Sunday.
I’ve not been massively convinced by Curtis Jones as the holding midfielder, so I’d rather see Trent Alexander-Arnold start as the number six. But with Conor Bradley still injured, that
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