Liverpool unleash attacking team vs Chelsea but £64m signing on the bench

Jurgen Klopp has named his Liverpool starting line-up for today’s 2023-24 opening-day fixture against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

And the Reds hand full debuts to Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. Both feature in the engine room after their respective summer arrivals. Liverpool paid £35 million for Mac Allister from Brighton while they met Szoboszlai’s £60 million release clause in his RB Leipzig contract.

Klopp fields the same side that featured from the outset in their final pre-season friendly - a 3-1 win over SV Darmstadt 98.

Virgil van Dijk captains Liverpool in his first competitive game. He lines up in defence alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson.

It appears that Cody Gakpo will again operate in an attacking midfield role while Mo Salah, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz feature in attack. That means that Darwin Nunez has to settled for a spot on the bench.

Among the substitutes is 17-year-old Ben Doak - who caught the eye in the summer - as well as James McConnell.

Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic are still not ready to be involved despite returning to training.

Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Diaz, Salah, Jota

Subs: Kelleher, Gomez, Matip, Jones, Elliott, Tsimikas, Doak, Nunez, McConnell.