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Sunday’s Community Shield clash between Liverpool and Man City may not be what either manager would ideally want at this stage before the Premier League season begins, as whatever the result there will no doubt be plenty of scrutiny and conclusions drawn as the two title favourites go head-to-head.

The psychological significance of it may be overstated as it will not necessarily be an accurate indicator of how the two teams fare on the whole this season, but neither team will want to be on the wrong end of a heavy defeat and the consequences that might have in terms of confidence and morale.

After a disjointed pre-season, Jürgen Klopp finally has all of his main players back and available for selection – bar Sadio Mané – and having had a full week of intense training in France to prepare for the game, fans can expect a very strong lineup from the Reds.

Here, we look at the likely starting XI and the different dilemmas Klopp has to contend with in each position.

Goalkeeper

No conversation to be had here. It’s Alisson Becker, of course. Let’s just hope he’s not still on holiday as he was against Olympique Lyonnais.

Right back

Trent Alexander-Arnold looks nailed on to start, as Klopp’s established first-choice has played the majority of pre-season and will now be getting up to speed after a couple of rusty performances.

Joe Gomez is the more defensive choice, but that will likely only be something Klopp looks at later in the game if Liverpool are protecting a lead, rather than from the start.

Ki-Jana Hoever has impressed there in pre-season and has made a strong case for himself as a possible backup option this season and beyond.

Centre back

Virgil van Dijk starts, obviously. The big question concerns who gets the nod next to him. Gomez started the 3-1 win against Lyon, while Joel Matip started the previous two games against Napoli and Sporting CP.

(Image: Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

On the back of his excellent performances in 2019, it seems likely that Klopp will keep faith in Matip as first choice for now at least.

It’s certainly a very welcome dilemma to have, and Gomez will be keen to earn his place back after striking up a formidable partnership with Van Dijk in the first-half of last season, prior to his injury.

Left back

Another clear-cut selection, Andy Robertson will start this one without any shadow of a doubt.

If it came to it, James Milner would probably still be the automatic backup here, but Yasser Larouci enjoyed a very promising pre-season on the whole, and has probably jumped ahead of Adam Lewis in the pecking order as a potential long-term deputy to the Scotsman.

Number six

Fabinho is very much the main man in the No.6 role now, having excelled throughout the second-half of last season. He’s the only real specialist defensive midfielder in the squad, and is one of the very best around at what he does.

Klopp has experimented with Adam Lallana there in pre-season to good effect in general, but it would be a major shock to see him start against a side of City’s calibre.

The number eights

Here’s where things get really tricky for the manager, with a plethora of strong options to pick from. Jordan Henderson probably gets the nod over Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the right, as the captain flourished in that more advanced box-to-box role in the latter stages of last season, and Klopp will likely adopt a patient approach to re-integrating Oxlade-Chamberlain after his lengthy injury lay-off, rather than throwing him straight into an encounter like this.

(Image: Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

The left-hand side is even more difficult to call. Naby Keita could be set for a big season and looked very sharp against Lyon, but this will likely come too early for him after just a week’s pre-season training.

That leaves a straight duel between trusted lieutenants, Gini Wijnaldum and James Milner. Klopp has enormous faith in both players, but the Dutchman’s extra dynamism and quality in possession may just edge him ahead, as was the case for Klopp’s team selection in the Champions League final.

Right forward

None other than the Egyptian King, Mohamed Salah. He may only have been back in pre-season for a week, but he looked lively against Lyon and Klopp will be keen to get more minutes and rhythm into his legs here before the league season kicks off.

Centre forward

There’s a decision to be made here, as Divock Origi and Rhian Brewster have had a full pre-season under their belts and have both impressed on different occasions, to varying degrees, so there’s a case for either of them to start given Roberto Firmino’s lack of preparation.

(Image: Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Roberto Firmino is the lynchpin of Liverpool’s attack, though, and has the ability to raise the level of everyone around him through his exceptional movement and linkup play. Like Salah, the Brazilian only returned to pre-season this week after international commitments this summer, and he only played 30 minutes vs Lyon.

Klopp will likely see it as an opportunity to give him more game time, perhaps with a view to only playing an hour or so.

Left forward

There’s a gaping big Mané-shaped void to fill here, and no obvious left-sided alternative in the squad, as Klopp has never really played Xherdan Shaqiri there, despite being left-footed. The same applies to Harry Wilson, who predominantly plays cutting infield from the right.

The standout candidate is Origi, who slotted in effectively on the left at times last season and is capable of running the channels well, while providing a genuine goal threat in the penalty box.

Wijnaldum is another possibility, with Klopp using him there on several occasions in pre-season, but his influence is undoubtedly strongest in midfield. That said, if Milner does start, Klopp might use the Dutchman further forward as part of a more robust and defensively solid lineup, or if Origi starts through the middle.