Liverpool get their title defence underway on Friday in the season’s curtain-raiser.

Football is almost back and Reds fans are looking forward to a season like no other, with their team hoping to make it back-to-back Premier League titles for the first time in their history.

Arne Slot will have some big decisions to make ahead of the game, with no one fully knowing what to expect given that it is the Dutchman’s first game with all his new players.

Steve Nicol says £16m Liverpool player simply has to start vs Bournemouth on Friday	‘He has to think…’ – Nicol urges Slot to hand one Liverpool player a rare start v Bournemouth	Liverpool Bench Limitations Laid Bare: The Gutter

Pre-season has seen injuries kept to a minimum which is exactly what everyone would have hoped for, although there are still a few who are doubts for the game.

And, there is one player in particular whose summer has been plagued with setbacks, with Slot confirming in his press conference that he might make the squad for Bournemouth.

Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Liverpool have looked a little vulnerable in defence over pre-season, with the Reds conceding far too many goals on the counter-attack, as well as from set pieces.

With that said, Slot will want as many options as possible at his disposal just in case, with Joe Gomez being the only other first-team defender at the club after Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.

However, just like the rest of his career, he has struggled with injuries and not played much football at all, although he might just be fit enough to make the bench.

MORE LIVERPOOL STORIES

“Joe, I have to make a decision on that, he only trained twice now and missed a lot of pre-season,” Slot said in his first press conference of the season.

READ MORE: Rio Ferdinand in agreement with Steven Gerrard about who will win the Premier League next season

“There is a possibility that Joe might be on the bench but I have to look at the numbers and who we are going to take.”

Gomez will be desperate to make the cut as he will get chances this season if he stays fit, with the Englishman needing an injury-free season to salvage what is left of his career.

Ability has never been his issue, with Jamie Carragher even once labelling him as ‘outstanding’, meaning that if he gets a run of games, he might be able to play a key role in the team.

As mentioned, Slot will want as many options as possible, hence why they are keen on bringing in defensive reinforcements.

Parma’s Giovanni Leoni looks like he will be the next signing through the door at Anfield, with Liverpool agreeing a deal for the 18-year-old.

He will likely be used sparingly next season but is seen as the heir to van Dijk’s throne, meaning that if Gomez cannot stay fit, Leoni will likely take his spot as ‘first reserve’.

Friday’s game against Bournemouth will certainly give fans a good impression of how the season might go, but the defence might just be a key area to keep an eye on.