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Liverpool begin their Premier League title defence on Friday night when they host Bournemouth at Anfield.

The Reds’ season officially got underway last weekend, when they lost on penalties to Crystal Palace in the Community Shield at Wembley.

Despite the defeat, Arne Slot’s side showed glimpses of the form that saw them dominate last season and will look to build on that performance in the league opener.

Liverpool finished 10 points clear of second-placed Arsenal in May to secure the club’s 20th record-equalling league title.

This week, Joe Gomez returned to training after several weeks out with a minor fitness issue.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Slot said of the defender’s chances of featuring against the Cherries: “I have to make a decision on that.

“I think he only trained twice now, missed quite a lot in pre-season

But if you looked at our bench against Palace, I think there were three players that were 20 years old or younger.

“So, there is a possibility that Joe might be on the bench but I have to look at the numbers and who we’re going to take.”

No update was provided on Conor Bradley, who missed the Community Shield as he continues to recover from injury.

There are also some concerns on the loan front for Liverpool.

Liverpool defender Isaac Mabaya faces a long spell out after sustaining a major lower-limb injury on his full debut for Wigan Athletic.

Fellow loanee Owen Beck is yet to feature for Derby County due to a muscle injury and is now expected to be sidelined until after the international break, according to BBC Radio Derby.

It’s the 22-year-old’s second successive Championship loan, following last season at Blackburn Rovers.

Beck, who previously played for Dundee and Bolton, joined Liverpool’s academy from Stoke City at the Under-13 level and debuted in the EFL Cup in October 2021.

He made his only Premier League appearance in January 2024 but has not featured since.

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