It’s been a fascinating summer for reigning Premier League champions Liverpool, who have made some ambitious moves in the transfer market to reshape the squad in Arne Slot’s image.
There have been the eye-catching summer friendlies, but the Community Shield against FA Cup winners Crystal Palace will offer us a first proper look at how Slot’s new-look Reds will line up in a (semi-?) competitive setting ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
Here’s how we predict that Liverpool will line up for the Community Shield.
GK: Giorgi Mamardashvili
How Slot navigates Liverpool’s goalkeeper situation will be one of the interesting subplots this season.
Caoimhin Kelleher frequently stood up tall with some exceptional displays when rotated in, but the Irishman has left to finally become a proper No.1 at Brentford.
We expect new signing Mamardashvili to fulfil that same role initially – Alisson’s back-up, brought in for cup cameos – but the 24-year-old brings bags of experience and will have ambitions of eventually usurping Liverpool’s long-serving Brazilian.
Wembley ought to provide the highly-rated Georgian a decent introduction to the English game.
RB: Conor Bradley
This one’s a bit of a coin flip.
There’s every chance that new signing Jeremie Frimpong will be given the nod as the post-Alexander-Arnold era begins. You’d expect the Netherlands international to feature in some capacity.
But Bradley might just get the nod here. He’s got experience of English football and appears the more conservative, defensively-minded option.
The three goals conceded to Milan following Frimpong’s introduction suggested that Slot has some early work to get the new right-back in sync with his new team-mates.
CB: Virgil van Dijk
As has been the case throughout his time at Liverpool, Van Dijk will surely be among the first names on the teamsheet.
There’s always an argument for resting senior players and giving fringe players a go in the unique, only half-important conditions of the Community Shield, but Slot doesn’t really have that option.
Central defence is the one area Liverpool are looking a bit light in. They’re depending on the skipper to play a lot of minutes once again this season. Another serious injury, as in their last title defence, is every Liverpool fan’s worst nightmare.
CB: Ibrahima Konate
We get distinctly Alexander-Arnold vibes from the reports of Konate’s contract negotiations and his tight-lipped nature, while Real Madrid are said to be eyeing up his signature.
Once again, it’s a bit of an awkward situation. But Slot doesn’t really have the option not to play him. The French defender remains a vitally important cog in Slot’s backline.
LB: Milos Kerkez
As on the other flank, we see this one as a bit of a 50-50. We foresee Slot playing one new signing and one proven existing option at Wembley. But which way round is anyone’s guess.
We can certainly see the manager favouring the experience and commitment of Robertson in the early weeks of the new season, but this could be an opportunity for his likely successor to lay down a marker – Kerkez was arguably the best left-back in the league last season at Bournemouth.
The prospect of the Hungarian bombing forward is an immensely exciting one. Slot, we know you’re reading this – unleash him immediately.
DM: Ryan Gravenberch
It’s been a wild summer in the transfer market for Liverpool, but we expect the base of their midfield to take much the same shape next term.
Gravenberch was an absolute revelation for Slot’s team in 2024-25. He’s earned his compatriots’ trust and you imagine he’ll be one of the pillars of this project going forward, particularly in the absence of alternative options.
The midfielder’s suspension applies to the start of the Premier League campaign, not this match.
CM: Alexis Mac Allister
Like Gravenberch, the World Cup winner barely put a foot wrong in Liverpool’s imperious march to the title. He earned a rare summer off and will be fresh and raring to go.
Slot will have some tinkering to do in terms of the shape and balance of his midfield, but you’d expect Mac Allister to continue playing an important role.
FWR: Mohamed Salah
We don’t have to explain this one, do we?
CAM: Florian Wirtz
Dominik Szoboszlai might be the one to drop out following the club-record acquisition of the world-class German playmaker.
It’ll be fascinating to see how Wirtz fares in his debut season for the Reds. There have been some notable £100 million+ missteps in the transfer market, but Liverpool’s track record when spending big is pretty convincing.
FWL: Cody Gakpo
Not always a surefire starter, Gakpo’s role in Slot’s favoured first XI may increase, at least in the immediate future, following the departure of Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich.
Might he remain a supplementary attacker if Liverpool get Isak over the line? The prospect of Salah lining up alongside £300million+ of summer reinforcements is an enticing one.
ST: Hugo Ekitike
At the time of writing, the Alexander Isak saga continues to rumble on.
We wouldn’t be at all surprised if that one gets wrapped up before the Community Shield, but if it does we’d be amazed if Isak gets thrown straight in.
Isak has reportedly been hard at work keeping up his fitness, training at former club Real Sociedad’s complex, but he’s still lacked a proper pre-season.
You imagine the plan will be to integrate him slowly, should Liverpool get the signing over the line.
The Reds’ pursuit of two No.9s this summer leaves the writing on the wall for Darwin Nunez, who has featured in the club’s faraway friendlies but doesn’t appear to have a future at Anfield.
That leaves Ekitike as the obvious choice to start up top at Wembley. Crystal Palace will offer the Frenchman a decent early test of the standard of opposition he’ll face in the Premier League this season.
SUBS
Slot will name nine substitutes at Wembley and is permitted to use up to six in the match.
He used all five last time Liverpool played in a Wembley final, but this time he’ll be hoping he won’t need them to chase a two-goal deficit.
We’d expect one or both of the full-backs to be switched, with Andrew Robertson and Jeremie Frimpong likely to feature off the bench if they don’t start. Joe Gomez and Federico Chiesa have injury niggles and might be absent entirely.
Wataru Endo, Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez will offer something if fit and available, with a special mention for 16-year-old wonderkid Rio Ngumoha, who has shone in pre-season and deserves some minutes at Wembley.
