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Most of the places in Liverpool's starting line up for Sunday's trip to Stoke City have already been nailed down.

Any doubts over whether striker Christian Benteke will be ready for the big kick-off were dispelled with his stunning strike in the weekend friendly win over Swindon Town.

The Reds' £32.5million signing looks certain to lead the line at the Britannia Stadium.

However, Brendan Rodgers still has some big decisions to make as he tries to find the right balance in his favoured 4-3-3 formation to ensure the Reds are well equipped to atone for the 6-1 thrashing they endured at the hands of the Potters back in May.

1 Who starts at left-back?

It's a straight shootout between Alberto Moreno and Joe Gomez.

Moreno has the greater experience but his form last term following his £12million move from Sevilla was patchy.

The 22-year-old Spaniard was regularly found wanting defensively and over pre-season he has done little to alleviate those concerns.

It was telling that Rodgers left Moreno at home and played Gomez at left-back against HJK Helsinki.

Read more:Gomez unfazed about prospect of Liverpool bow in Stoke showdown

The England youth international didn't disappoint with another calm, composed display. His impact following his £3.5million transfer from Charlton has been hugely impressive.

In the space of four weeks Gomez has gone from being potentially loaned out to being firmly in contention to start at Stoke. On current form he looks the safer bet.

2 Who plays alongside Martin Skrtel?

Nathaniel Clyne is nailed on to start at right-back but who plays in the middle with Skrtel is less clear cut.

Judging by Rodgers' recent selections it appears that Dejan Lovren will be given an early chance to make amends for last season's woes at the expense of Mamadou Sakho.

The £20million Croatian was preferred to Sakho in Liverpool's three recent friendlies in Adelaide, Kuala Lumpur and Helsinki.

Lovren would be a controversial pick considering that Sakho was the more consistent performer in 2014/15.

In the past there's been a worrying lack of understanding between Lovren and Skrtel but Rodgers clearly believes that partnership can worth.

3 Does he play a holding midfielder?

Captain Jordan Henderson and James Milner will occupy two of the central midfield roles but the third remains up for grabs. It will come down to a tactical decision over whether Rodgers believes he needs someone to sit in front of the back four to offer protection.

If the answer is yes then Lucas Leiva will start behind Henderson and Milner.

If the answer is no then Philippe Coutinho will play ahead of the England duo.

It's hard to imagine Coutinho missing out whatever considering the way he performed last season and the moments of magic he produced on his return to action in Helsinki last weekend.

Rodgers could of course find room for both Coutinho and Lucas by playing Coutinho as one of his front three. That would be at the expense of either Adam Lallana or Jordon Ibe.

Emre Can provides another central midfield option for Rodgers but the young German is still building up his fitness following his break after the European Under-21 Championships.

Read more:The winners and losers of Liverpool FC's pre-season