Liverpool team vs Wolves predicted as Diogo Jota starts and Ryan Gravenberch debut decision made
Liverpool will face Wolves at Molineux in the Premier League later today.
Here, our three editors pick the starting XI we’d like Jürgen Klopp to pick.
As the international break ends, Liverpool prepare to return to the Premier League with a trip to Gary O’Neil’s Wolves at Molineux.
Liverpool did not have a good record in their first outing, with 3 draws and 3 defeats compared to 6 matches last season, but that needs to change here.
There’s no reason not to win here and continue the good start to the campaign.
After beating Bournemouth, Newcastle United and Aston Villa, this is another game that won’t be easy but is winnable.
By doing that, Liverpool could (momentarily) take the lead in the Premier League.
It’s been a while since that was the case.
These are the teams some of our Liverpool.com editors will pick against Wolves, with key decisions to be made across the field due to injuries, suspensions and the international push .
Liverpool don’t have many options at the back, especially with Virgil van Dijk suspended, but at least there are more than there were at one time.
Joe Gomez will play right-back in place of the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold, meaning centre-back pair Ibrahima Konaté and Joël Matip.
In midfield, I’d pick Alexis Mac Allister to start and hope he can be substituted in an hour or so once the game is over.
He returned late from international duty but I would have preferred him to play here and Wataru Endō will win the Europa League match on Thursday.
Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai are certainties and Ryan Gravenberch could come off the bench in his Premier League debut.
After a dominant performance against Aston Villa, Klopp will not want to change things too much, but some things could be forced on him.
Most prominent among them is the absence of Alexander-Arnold, who will force Gomez to play at right-back.
Thankfully Konaté is back so he and Matip will start in the middle, with Robertson on the left.
Endō had been considered as a possible option for the emergency centre-back, but he could now start at six – with Klopp hinting in his press conference that Mac Allister must play at altitude in Bolivia .
The stadium in question is not far from there, three times higher than the top of Ben Nevis.
Against Endō, Szoboszlai and Jones were able to hold their positions.
They may even have a little more freedom with a real professional behind them, although they will still have to complete many pressing tasks.
Klopp said Núñez reassured him about his fitness concerns, but he always arrived late to Liverpool.
With Jota in good form, scoring twice for Portugal on international duty, he deserves his chance, especially after a prolific pre-season.
But he may have to play wide; Díaz also arrived late so perhaps the Colombian could be called up to the bench.
This frees up Gakpo to start in the middle.