Liverpool will soon travel to Finland for the final leg of their pre-season tour, preparing to face champions HJK.
For the first time, Brendan Rodgers will have Coutinho, Emre Can, Roberto Firmino and Christian Benteke available – with the first three given extended leave due to international commitments, and the latter signing while the side was still in Australia.
We’ve so far played four pre-season friendlies, winning three and drawing one, and Adam Lallana, James Milner and Jordon Ibe are the three players who’ve probably impressed most.
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But are they guaranteed starters?
Below, we’ve listed four players who probably need to impress in Finland if they’re to start the Stoke fixture.
1) Emre Can
The German powerhouse is many fan’s primary option for the anchorman spot in the 4-3-3 formation we’ve used all pre-season, but as he missed out on the tour – Lucas and Joe Allen have an advantage over him. Can is too good to play in defence again this term, but will need to fight if he’s to start ahead of his more experienced Brazilian and Welsh counterparts. The 21-year-old looked impressive in an Under-21 fixture versus Porto last weekend, but needs to encourage Brendan Rodgers to take the gamble and trust him in the deep-lying role instead of the safer option Lucas or Allen provide. Can is more talented than both, but at the moment, is less disciplined – which is a problem in a defensive position. We hope he starts in Helsinki, and gives Rodgers no choice when the boss is picking his XI to face Stoke.
2) Jordon Ibe
Based on Ibe’s pre-season performances he should walk into the XI, but with Coutinho and Roberto Firmino now available, it’s not that simple. Presuming Adam Lallana will start the season on the left after his impressive pre-season, both Brazilians are competing with the English teen for the inverted spot on the right of a 4-3-3… An uphill battle for Ibe, certainly – but if he continues to show the devastating pace, power and end product we’ve witnessed so far, it’ll be impossible for Rodgers not to start Ibe on the right. He’ll give us genuine width, which Coutinho and Firmino will not. If Ibe shines again, the boss has a decision to make in how to fit even one of the Brazilians in the XI.
3) Dejan Lovren
One of the letdowns of pre-season, Lovren surely knows another unnerving friendly display will see him relegated to the bench for the trip to Stoke. (Although we reckon he should probably start there anyway behind Mamadou Sakho.) The Croat was dire versus the Malaysia XI last time out, but the fact he’s started the past two friendlies ahead of Sakho suggests Rodgers wants to use him above the Frenchman. For us this makes no sense at all, but it does at least give the £20m signing a chance to finally prove his worth. His time to do so is running out.
4) Roberto Firmino
Easily the most exciting of our summer signings, Roberto Firmino knows all eyes will be on him against HJK as he pulls on a red shirt for the first time. It’ll be very interesting to see where Rodgers deploys him in the expected 4-3-3, as none of the roles in that formation naturally suit the 23-year-old – who’s best used as a no.10 – behind a centre-forward. This means Firmino could have to adapt to a wider role, where he’s still given the licence to cut in and roam. His £29m price-tag indicates that the club see him as a starter long-term, but his lack of pre-season means he’s not expected to start away to Stoke. Should he dazzle in Finland though, displaying his rumoured genius, Rodgers may need a rethink.
