Liverpool are tasked with raising the curtain on the new Premier League season and will begin their title defence in front of a home crowd.

The Reds have had a hugely successful summer off the pitch and made some excellent signings that will give them the best chance of staying at the top, they just need it all to gel together.

Pre-season has been an interesting one as there has been a great deal of positives to take from their performances, but there has equally been some worrying signs.

Arne Slot has some big decisions to make before their first game of the new campaign against Bournemouth, although the selection dilemma the Dutchman faces will only be seen as a privilege.

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However, there is one area of the pitch that ex-Liverpool player Steve Nicol believes needs addressing, with the Scotsman insisting that Slot needs to change tactics and start a £16m star instead.

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Liverpool’s season unofficially got underway on Sunday after facing Crystal Palace in the Community Shield, a game that left a lot to be desired for Reds fans.

One area that caused concern was the midfield, with Palace winning the battle in the middle of the park almost every time and cutting Liverpool open far too easily.

Ryan Gravenberch was missing in that game due to becoming a father the night before, but the Dutchman is also unavailable for Bournemouth on Friday, meaning Slot has a decision to make.

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However, Nicol believes it is quite clear what he should do, with this being to start Wataru Endo there instead to maintain the balance of the team.

“He maybe has to think about starting Endo,” Nicol told ESPN FC on their YouTube channel.

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“A lot of the problems they had on the counter that Palace gave them was because of the turnover.

The fact Gravenberch will not start the season, he [Arne Slot] has to rethink defensively, instead of going all guns blazing with all these forwards he has signed, he just needs to cool his jets and think about the defensive side of the game.”

Although the Reds have had a record-breaking summer and brought in players who will only propel the team forward, the start of the new campaign could be a rather tricky one.

Not only do they have some hard games, but players need time to settle in and gel, with Liverpool having a lot of stars that will be trying to do this as soon as possible.

Gravenberch missing out makes it even harder too, especially as it is unknown how long Alexis Mac Allister can last following his return from injury, meaning it will not be their full-strength squad against the Cherries.

Expectations on the team will be higher than ever and that certainly will not help, suggesting that the start of their title defence may not be as exciting as fans might think.