Preseason friendlies: Liverpool vs. Monaco, probable lineups

Liverpool faces Monaco at Anfield in a high-profile friendly scheduled for 3:30 p.m. With two weeks to go before the start of the Premier League, Iraola is assessing his team’s condition following their loss in their last friendly against Leeds, where several defensive weaknesses were exposed. Filipe Luis’s team, on the other hand, is coming off a win against Getafe in their last friendly.

Iraola is fine-tuning his lineup, and his Liverpool side is starting to take shape: up front, he’s relying on Isak as the center forward, with Munoz, Wirtz, and Ngumoha in the attacking midfield trio. In midfield are Nyoni and Szboboszlai, while Curtis Jones—who is close to leaving—remains out. The fullbacks will be Scanlon and Kerkez.

Monaco responds with Biereth up front, supported by Abline, Golovin, and Detourbet, with Cabral and Camara in midfield. Vanderson and Nazinho will be the two wingers for the team from the Principality.

Liverpool vs. Monaco: Probable Lineups
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Scanlon, Ndiaye, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Nyoni, Szoboszlai; Munoz, Wirtz, Ngumoha; Isak.
Monaco (4-2-3-1): Hradecky; Vanderson, Sane, Dier, Nazinho; Camara, Cabral; Abline, Golovin, Detourbet; Biereth.

Curtis Jones’ absence is no coincidence and reflects an increasingly complicated transfer situation. The midfielder, born in 2001 and raised entirely in the Reds’ youth academy, is now on the fringes of Iraola’s plans: his contract expires in June 2027, and no progress has been made toward a renewal. Liverpool values him at around 40 million euros, a figure that has so far deterred suitors, most notably Cristian Chivu’s Inter, which has identified him as the ideal reinforcement for its midfield.

Jones’s situation has become even more complicated in recent weeks, when videos surfaced showing him in a heated argument with captain Szoboszlai at the end of the friendly against Wrexham. The spat, which lasted several minutes, reportedly stemmed from an action by the Hungarian midfielder who, upon being substituted, handed the captain’s armband to Tsimikas instead of Jones. This incident has sparked debate and perfectly illustrates the player’s unease within the locker room.