Liverpool Starting XI vs Bournemouth: Confirmed Team News and Predicted Lineup | OneFootball

Liverpool  vs AFC Bournemouth: Latest Team News and Predicted Lineup

Liverpool’s Premier League title defence finally gets underway tonight as they host AFC Bournemouth at Anfield.

It has been a chaotic summer on and off the pitch, with the £30m deal to sign Giovanni Leoni marking Liverpool’s seventh summer signing. Many of which are expected to make their Premier League debut under the lights tonight.

With that being said, let’s take a look at our predicted lineup…

Slot’s Back-Line

Liverpool’s defending has been rather questionable across pre-season and Slot will be hoping for a much improved performance from his back-line tonight. Alisson Becker will start inbetween the sticks after returning just in time for Sunday’s FA Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace.

There’ll be two league debutants at full-back. Milos Kerkez will start at left-back and will face up against his former club after a £40m move this summer. On the opposite side, Jeremie Frimpong will start at right-back as Conor Bradley continues his return to fitness.

Photo: IMAGO

Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate will continue their partnership at the heart of the defence, whilst Joe Gomez could be fit enough to make the bench.

Verdict: Alisson, Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk (C), Kerkez

Changes in Midfield

Slot has already been dealt one inconvenience for this game as Ryan Gravenberch misses out through a suspension that was earned on the final game of last season.

One slight positive is that Alexis Mac Allister is back in contention to return to the starting lineup in midfield. He will be joined by Dominik Szoboszlai, who has looked largely impressive in that deeper midfield role.

Photo: IMAGO

Ahead of them, record-breaking signing Florian Wirtz will start as the most advanced midfielder.

Verdict: Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Wirtz

Unchanged Front Three

The options in the front-line are extremely limited at the moment. Following the departures of Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, Slot will likely be forced to name an unchanged front three.

Mohamed Salah will start on the right-wing, whilst Cody Gakpo will operate from the opposite flank. New signing Hugo Ekitike opened his Liverpool account against Crystal Palace on Sunday and will be hoping to score his first Premier League goal tonight.

Photo: IMAGO

Despite their uncertain futures, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott named amongst the substitutes.

Verdict: Salah, Ekitike, Gakpo

Starting XI: Alisson, Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Salah, Ekitike, Gakpo.

Bench: Mamardashvili, Gomez, Robertson, Endo, Jones, Nyoni, Elliott, Ngumoha, Chiesa.