Liverpool head into their final pre-season friendly against Como this weekend with a lengthy injury list to navigate, as new manager Andoni Iraola prepares for his first matches in charge of the club. The fixtures at Anfield, split into a behind-closed-doors match at 11.30am BST and a ticketed friendly at 6pm on Sunday, August 16, mark the conclusion of Liverpool's preparations before the new Premier League season gets underway.
Central defence remains the most pressing concern for Iraola, the former Bournemouth boss, with just Virgil van Dijk fully available among senior options. Jeremy Jacquet, signed for £60million from Rennes, has yet to feature in pre-season after his 2025-26 campaign was cut short by a shoulder injury. He has since been nursing a separate, unspecified problem that kept him out of the recent 3-2 loss to Monaco, though he has now returned to full training and could be involved against Como.
The defensive picture has been further complicated by the departure of Ibrahima Konate, who left on a free transfer at the end of his contract to join Real Madrid, and by Giovanni Leoni's continued recovery from the ACL injury he suffered on his debut in last season's Carabao Cup. Joe Gomez is another doubt after limping off with a muscle problem during the 4-2 win over Sunderland, being replaced by academy product Ifeanyi Ndukwe. That issue is expected to rule Gomez out of the start of the campaign.
With options limited, Iraola has turned to the loan market, bringing in Ronald Araujo from Barcelona to bolster his defensive ranks. Liverpool have also given opportunities to their younger players during pre-season, with Ndukwe joined by fellow new arrival Talla Ndiaye and academy defender Luke Chambers all featuring in recent outings.
Elsewhere on the injury front, midfielder Curtis Jones has returned to training after missing the Monaco defeat with a hip complaint, despite continued transfer speculation linking him with a move to Inter Milan. Alexis Mac Allister and Victor Munoz, both involved in their nations' runs to the World Cup final, are back with the squad but will have their fitness levels closely monitored following their extended international commitments.
Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitike remain longer-term absentees, sidelined by knee and Achilles injuries respectively, while Van Dijk and first-choice goalkeeper Alisson have both returned to action, appearing in the loss to Monaco.
Despite the defensive headaches, Iraola's attacking options appear largely unaffected, with a settled look to his likely front line. A predicted starting XI in a 4-2-3-1 formation sees Alisson in goal behind a back four of Jeremy Frimpong, Jacquet, Van Dijk and Milos Kerkez, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch anchoring midfield. Rio Ngumouha, Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo would support Alexander Isak in attack, should Iraola opt for close to his strongest available lineup across the two fixtures.
It remains to be seen how the Spanish coach will manage his squad across the back-to-back friendlies, balancing the need for match sharpness with the risk of further injuries so close to the season opener. Liverpool supporters will get their first look at several of Iraola's new signings and squad rotations before Premier League action begins in earnest.
Based on reporting from standard-football.