Liverpool begin their pre-season calendar on Sunday as they travel to face Preston North End.

After some deliberation with players and staff as to whether the game would go ahead, the match has been given the green light.

It is all set to be a day of incredible emotion for Liverpool players, fans and staff, as the team take to the field for the first time since Diogo Jota’s death.

Liverpool continue to pay tribute to Jota and there will be more opportunity to do so at Deepdale this weekend.

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While it is hard to focus on the football just now, pre-season looks set to go ahead as normal, meaning, as ever, that youngsters from the Liverpool academy could be given chances to impress.

And according to journalist David Lynch, young centre-back Amara Nallo is primed to get a clean slate following his debut sending off in February.

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Despite his unfortunate debut red card against PSV Eindhoven, Nallo is very highly thought of at Liverpool.

After the Reds sold Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen, the 18-year-old is nominally Arne Slot‘s fourth-choice centre-back.

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And speaking to his YouTube channel on Friday, Lynch says this is likely to lead to a chance for Nallo in the early part of pre-season.

“I think Amara Nallo will get opportunities,” he claims.

“There’s a big talent there, he’s looked great at youth level, very composed in possession, strong and quick and just a good defender.”

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“He made that mistake in his first game but he’s still only 18 years old, so you can’t hold that against him.

I think there are going to be chances for him to quickly move on from that because Liverpool are a little bit short at centre-half at the moment, because Quansah’s gone.

“But, before then, Nallo is going to maybe get a chance in some of these pre-season friendlies.”

It is no secret that Liverpool are looking for a new centre-back following the departure of Quansah.

As Rousing The Kop revealed on Thursday, Parma’s Giovanni Leoni is an option for Liverpool as they look for a young defender who can step up in the future.

But as they do that, there is certainly a chance for Nallo to show that he can be that player.

Quansah himself took his opportunity in 2023, amid clamours for a new player to be signed.

The Liverpool academy graduate stepped in to aid Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joel Matip, and never looked back.

With plans already in place for a new addition, Nallo may not be able to do something similar this year.

There is a gap there, so perhaps Nallo can be the player to fill it.