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The countdown is on for Liverpool as it gears up to launch its 2025/26 campaign in just a few days. It comes as Crystal Palace have been dealt a major injury setback.
Arne Slot's team will head to Wembley Stadium to compete in the Community Shield as the reigning Premier League champions, squaring off against last season's FA Cup victors Crystal Palace. In preparation for the new season, the Reds have notched up friendly wins against Preston North End, Stoke City, Yokohama F. Marinos and Athletic Club, while also taking valuable lessons from a defeat to AC Milan.
Several fresh summer signings, part of an almost $400 million transfer spree, have had their first taste of action in these matches. Slot now has the chance to give competitive debuts as the ECHO contemplates five new additions who could make up Liverpool's dream starting XI this Sunday.
Midfielder Florian Wirtz has been turning heads in pre-season. Unfazed by his hefty price tag, has shown he's ready to hit the ground running, netting his first goal against Yokohama.
A similar sentiment can be expressed for fellow attacking force Hugo Ekitike, with the Frenchman assisting Mohamed Salah in his first Anfield appearance against Athletic Club on Monday.
On the defensive front, it seems Slot has let slip that new full-back recruits Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez are set to be his go-to pairing moving forward.
For the Dutchman, securing a spot in the Community Shield team seems to be a breeze, especially as Conor Bradley has been sidelined from recent pre-season matches due to a minor injury. The Hungarian, on the other hand, is vying with Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas for the left-back position, and managed to secure a starting place in the second of two friendlies against Athletic Club, which featured a more senior squad.
While it would be ideal to see Alisson Becker back between the sticks, the goalkeeper has missed four pre-season games. Nevertheless, Reds fans will undoubtedly be thrilled to see Giorgi Mamardashvili make his first competitive start, which seems the most logical choice given that the Georgian international has clocked up the most minutes of the two.
Now, the question remains whether there will be a sixth debutant for the Reds with just three days until the big match.
With just enough time and clear interest from the club, there's still a chance for Alexander Isak to sign for Liverpool from Newcastle United and make his first start at the end of what could be a hectic period.
Given his impressive tally of 62 goals and 11 assists in three seasons at Tyneside, the striker would be a dream starter under any circumstances. However, there are so many variables at play that the chances of this happening for the Community Shield are slim to none.
Firstly, Liverpool has not tabled a second offer after its initial $140 million bid was promptly rejected last Friday. Newcastle is still without a replacement and seems to be losing the race to secure its top target Benjamin Sesko. Isak is also in the midst of recovering from a thigh injury that has prevented him from participating in any pre-season games.
Slot would then have his pick from his existing roster of Reds Premier League champions to face FA Cup winners Palace.
Completing a three-pronged attack would be Salah and Cody Gakpo, who now has the chance to establish himself as the team's primary left winger following Luis Diaz's move to Bayern Munich. The likely departure of Darwin Nunez from Anfield further solidifies these two as the obvious choices.
In midfield, Ryan Gravenberch can be fully utilised as the Dutchman is only due to serve a one-game suspension in the Premier League opener against Bournemouth on Friday, Aug. 15. This suspension was earned for a red card on the final day of last season, coincidentally against Palace.
In the contest for the remaining spot between Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, the latter just clinches it due to his impressive pre-season performance since being moved back into a No. 8 role because of Wirtz's arrival.
Additionally, Mac Allister has been dealing with injury recovery this pre-season.
To complete the dream XI with a central defensive duo, Virgil van Dijk bounces back from the illness that sidelined him for the Athletic Club double-header and dons the captain's armband to partner with Ibrahima Konate.
Dream Liverpool line-up vs Crystal Palace: Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Salah, Ekitike, Gakpo
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