Liverpool’s pre-season tour draws to a close after Wednesday’s friendly against Yokohama F. Marinos, and Arne Slot will be keen to oversee a victory in Japan off the back of a 4–2 defeat to Milan.
The Reds’ touring squad has been hampered by injuries but bolstered by fresh faces, with Florian Wirtz making his first start for the club in Saturday’s loss. Now, excited Liverpool supporters are readying themselves for Hugo Ekitiké’s first appearance in red.
Luis Díaz has flown back to Europe to finalise his move to Bayern Munich, while Joe Gomez has returned to Merseyside after picking up an Achilles injury. However, Slot has confirmed the returns of a couple of absent stars from the Milan defeat for Wednesday’s friendly.
Here’s how Liverpool could line up against the J1 League strugglers.
Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. Yokohama FM (4-2-3-1)
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GK: Freddie Woodman—Woodman looks set to be Liverpool’s third-choice goalkeeper this season, and Wednesday’s friendly is a good opportunity for him to earn minutes after he failed to come on against Milan. Alisson has left the tour early to see to a personal matter.
RB: Conor Bradley—The Northern Irishman will play a big role in filling Trent Alexander-Arnold’s void despite Jeremie Frimpong’s arrival, with the Dutchman a contender to play further upfield.
CB: Ibrahima Konaté—Liverpool will soon want to sort the towering defender’s contract situation out, with Konaté entering the final year of his current deal amid links of a move to Real Madrid.
CB: Virgil van Dijk—Van Dijk didn’t exactly cover himself in glory against Milan, and, in particular, when faced with the destructive threat of Rafael Leão. He’ll benefit from having his usual partner alongside him here.
LB: Milos Kerkez—Liverpool’s hectic summer means Kerkez’s arrival will go under the radar, but the left back is set to make a big impact right away.
CM: Wataru Endo—After missing the Milan defeat through illness, Endo is poised to feature in his homeland on Wednesday. Slot has confirmed that the versatile midfielder is fit again to play.
CM: Curtis Jones—There was a reshuffle in midfield against the Rossoneri, with Jones, who played an unsung role in Liverpool’s title success last season, appearing off the bench. The Englishman will want to capitalise on Alexis Mac Allister’s current absence.
RW: Ben Doak—The young Scot was one of the stories of Liverpool’s pre-season two summers ago, but hasn’t been too much of a protagonist since Slot took over. However, the spritely winger could get the nod down the right here.
AM: Dominik Szoboszlai—After playing in a deeper midfield role last time out, Szoboszlai could return to the function he performed superbly for much of last season.
LW: Cody Gakpo—Gakpo joined Szoboszlai on the scoresheet against Milan, and is poised to start in Wednesday’s friendly. There may also be minutes for Hugo Ekitiké down the left.
ST: Florian Wirtz—Ektiké will make his debut in Yokohama, Slot has confirmed, although Liverpool also have Darwin Núñez available again. The Dutchman has plenty of options, with Wirtz impressive as Liverpool’s false nine in Hong Kong.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. Yokohama FM: Ekitike Debut, Wirtz Continues as False Nine.