The time for experimentation is over. Now supporters can expect to be given a proper glimpse of what to expect when Liverpool’s Premier League season begins on Sunday.
The Reds conclude their warm-up programme with a game against newly-promoted Bundesliga side SV Darmstadt at Preston North End’s Deepdale ground on Monday evening, with Anfield not available due to ongoing construction work on the £80million Anfield Road stand.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have had something of a mixed bag in terms of results in their previous games this summer, winning 4-2 and drawing 4-4 against German second tier sides Karlsruher SC and Greuther Furth, before travelling to Singapore where they beat Championship outfit Leicester City 4-0 before losing 4-3 to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
The goalfests point to the strengths and weaknesses of Liverpool during pre-season, their attackers all swiftly finding their groove while the defenders have found life more difficult, not helped by the varied attempts in midfield to atone for the squad being without a proven number six.
In Singapore, Klopp looked to give greater minutes to those most likely to be competing for a starting role against Chelsea next weekend, and his starting XI against Darmstadt will be instructive. It won’t be too far removed from the team that takes to the field at Stamford Bridge.
There could be some caveats, however. Alexis Mac Allister limped off at half-time against Bayern with a knee injury and while Klopp later revealed the issue was merely a painful bruising, Liverpool have already shown with fellow summer signing Dominik Szoboszlai they won’t take any risks over even the most trivial of issues.
And while Klopp otherwise reported a clean bill of health for the 27-man party who travelled to Singapore, right-back Conor Bradley remains sidelined with the minor injury that forced him to miss the trip. Bradley had started the first two friendlies at right-back, which allowed Trent Alexander-Arnold to push into the defensive midfield role.
Stefan Bajcetic and Thiago Alcantara aren’t quite yet ready for first-team consideration despite having resumed team training over the weekend, and chances will almost certainly be limited for many of the youngsters who have impressed during pre-season.
That said, two of the biggest stand-outs – midfielder Bobby Clark and winger Ben Doak – can expect a further outing, with Liverpool ultimately facing a decision of whether to permit the duo a loan spell or keep them as part of the squad with League Cup and Europa League opportunities in the offing.
The defensive midfield role remains the biggest concern, Klopp having to decide with which of Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones to persevere in the absence of any new arrivals. Should the former start, Joe Gomez could line up at right-back. But it is perhaps too late, at least for now, to veer away from the 3-box-3 formation to which Liverpool have been committed since April.
Darmstadt are likely to offer a different kind of test for Liverpool compared to their four previous opponents this summer. They boasted the German second tier’s best defence in finishing second to earn promotion to the Bundesliga last season, and their previous four games in pre-season they have failed to score, while conceding only three times. Their first game was a 1-0 defeat to Championship side Norwich City, with their most recent two games having been goalless.
Nobody should anticipate another end-to-end encounter. And that dose of reality might be exactly what Klopp’s side need. The phony war is almost over.
