Liverpool predicted XI vs. Newcastle United: Araujo or Jacquet & Ngumoha decision… | OneFootball

The Andoni Iraola era at Liverpool begins on Sunday with an away game at Newcastle United on the Premier League’s opening weekend.

It’s a clash between two teams with new managers, with Iraola chosen as the successor to Arne Slot by Liverpool earlier this summer and Newcastle bringing in Matthias Jaissle in place of Eddie Howe more recently.

That makes it a bit harder to be confident of how both sides will be setting up, but a squad with Liverpool’s talent mostly picks itself.

Thus, Iraola only has a few selection headaches for his first official match with Liverpool. He won’t need to think too hard about starting with Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker, Dominik Szoboszlai and so on.

What he does have to weigh up is who plays next to Van Dijk at centre-back. With Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni injured, it will be a Premier League debut for either Ronald Araujo or Jeremy Jacquet, signed from Barcelona and Rennes respectively this year.

Araujo’s greater experience – and the fact Jacquet is on the comeback trail from his own injury – might give him the edge for what should be a tough physical battle in the north east.

Liverpool’s other new recruit, Victor Munoz, may have to settle for a place on the bench. Rio Ngumoha, after his dramatic goal at the same venue last year, might be favoured on the right wing.

That position is still a question mark for Liverpool in the long term. They haven’t signed a natural replacement for Mohamed Salah yet, making a bid for Yankuba Minteh from Brighton in recent days but not meeting the asking price.

Back to the weekend and, elsewhere in attack, Alexander Isak should be playing against his former club for the first time.

Safe to say he can probably expect a hostile reception, but Liverpool need him to start the season strongly, especially with Hugo Ekitike still on the sidelines.

And in the number 10 role, last summer’s other big signing Florian Wirtz is set to make his 50th appearance for Liverpool.

There will be no Curtis Jones, whose Liverpool career is over and whose Inter Milan career is about to begin.

Wataru Endo is an injury doubt in midfield and Alexis Mac Allister, a late returner from the World Cup, is unlikely to be at 100%.

Here’s the overview of how we’re expecting Liverpool to line up at St. James’ Park.