Liverpool face Leeds United in their third pre-season friendly at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sunday night, closing out the club's 2026 US tour.
The Reds have already beaten Sunderland 4-2 and Wrexham 1-0 in the United States, with new head coach Andoni Iraola making full use of his squad. Ryan Gravenberch, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz are all set to feature against Leeds.
Paul Gorst's Liverpool line-up
Paul Gorst believes the returns of Isak, Gravenberch and Wirtz will give the squad a serious injection of quality, but does not expect all three to start. He points out that Iraola has not named a traditional starting XI in either of the two US games so far.
Centre-back is the issue for Iraola, so Ifeanyi Ndukwe is likely to start alongside Luke Chambers, with Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez at full-back. Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai and Harvey Elliott complete the midfield three. On the left, Calum Scanlon gets another chance to impress, Rio Ngumoha starts on the right, and Will Wright leads the line. Isak, Wirtz and Gravenberch are all expected to feature at some point.
Paul Gorst's team: Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Ndukwe, Chambers, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Jones; Ngumoha, Elliott, Scanlon; Wright.
Mark Jones's Liverpool line-up
Mark Jones says Ifeanyi Ndukwe has been the breakout star of the tour, but the 18-year-old played 80 minutes against Sunderland and 90 against Wrexham, so he needs a rest. In an ideal world Jeremy Jacquet would come in, but the club are being extra cautious with him, leaving a centre-back pairing of Luke Chambers and Mor Talla Ndiaye ahead of Giorgi Mamardashvili, with Jacquet possibly getting some minutes in the second half.
Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez can step up their fitness in the full-back positions, and Trey Nyoni is picked alongside the returning Ryan Gravenberch in midfield. Rio Ngumoha can have another go on the right after scoring the winner against Wrexham, Lewis Koumas gets a go on the left, and Florian Wirtz plays behind Alexander Isak for the first time under Iraola - but certainly not the last.
Mark Jones's team (4-2-3-1): Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Ndiaye, Chambers, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Nyoni; Ngumoha, Wirtz, Koumas; Isak.
