Liverpool fly out to the USA on Monday looking fairly light, with World Cup players yet to return and new signings thin on the ground.
Help should be coming soon in that regard, with those who played at the World Cup due to come back, and transfer market activity surely set to ramp up.
Liverpool will play three friendlies in the USA, starting with a clash against Sunderland in Nashville on Saturday, and though Andoni Iraola will not get any reinforcements in terms of returning players for the meeting with the Black Cats, it has been confirmed that some players will be back for the game against Wrexham the following Thursday.
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According to The Athletic, Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Ryan Gravenberch are all expected back for the Wrexham match, as well as the game against Leeds United on August 2nd.
So, with the star trio added to Iraola’s existing options, what is the best XI he could field while out in the USA?
Defence
Having been knocked out with Brazil on July 5th, Alisson Becker’s three-week break should put him back with the Reds on the day after the Sunderland match.
However, it seems that the goalkeeper will instead re-join the group back on Merseyside, meaning Giorgi Mamardashvili will get a chance to build himself a platform for a better second season with Liverpool.
In front of him, no right-back has yet been signed, so with Conor Bradley still not fit, Jeremie Frimpong is the only senior option for Iraola.
It has been confirmed that, along with Bradley and Hugo Ekitike, Giovanni Leoni will travel with the squad to the USA to continue his rehab, but the Italian does not appear to be fit yet either, making Jeremy Jacquet and Joe Gomez Iraola’s centre-back pairing. At left-back he has a choice between first and second-choice, but Milos Kerkez is clearly ahead of Kostas Tsimikas in the pecking order.
Midfield
It will be interesting to see what Iraola does with his midfield for Saturday’s game, with only Dominik Szoboszlai to call upon from the regular starters.
The return of Wirtz and Gravenberch will change that completely, though, and a two of Szoboszlai and Gravenberch with Wirtz in front looks like it could be Liverpool’s best midfield this season full stop. The chance to work on it in the US could be crucial.
Attack
All eyes have been on Liverpool’s forward line for a while now, and it is safe to say that supporters had assumed one or two new additions would be on show in America.
That will not be the case, though, with Victor Munoz the only signing so far, and given the 23-year-old has just won the World Cup with Spain, he will surely not be playing any part.
Cody Gakpo is still missing too, meaning Rio Ngumoha should be an automatic pick for the left-hand side.
lsak needs a good pre-season and it will be great to see him back and linking up with Wirtz, but beyond the Swede, Iraola really has nothing much at all. Will Wright could be the man to go against Sunderland before Isak’s return.
The right is an equally big problem for Iraola, but the lack of options means Federico Chiesa has a real chance to make an impression on the new boss and stake his claim for a bigger role.
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