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Liverpool Football Club

Liverpool are back in action today as they take on Preston North End at Deepdale this afternoon.

A day that holds significant importance for the club, as tributes will be carried out before kick-off to honour Diogo Jota and his younger brother Andre Silva after their tragic passing last week.

Despite the occasion being tinged with sadness, there is lots to look forward to as debuts are handed out and we get to see the Liverpool players playing football once again.

Giorgi Mamardashvili has been handed his first appearance in a Liverpool shirt for the opener of Liverpool’s new season.

He is the only player out of the six new Liverpool additions to start the game as Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Freddie Woodman and Armin Pecsi all starting the game on the substitutes bench.

Many people would have been eager to see club record signing Florian Wirtz in action this afternoon, but the German midfielder is not in the matchday squad today and the reason for his absence has now been revealed.

Virgil van Dijk, Alexis Mac Allister, Luis Diaz and Ibrahima Konate also miss out as all senior players who are not involved in the game have stayed back at Kirkby to take part in individual training sessions.

Given the understandably disruptive start to Liverpool’s pre-season, Arne Slot is taking no risks over the fitness of his players.

No injuries to players, just precautions taken to make sure the team build up their fitness ahead of what is sure to be another gruelling campaign for the Reds.

Mohamed Salah starts the game at Deepdale, whilst Rio Ngumoha and Federico Chiesa accompany him in attack.

Conor Bradley, Joe Gomez, Luca Stephenson and Kostas Tsimikas make up the defence, with Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Trey Nyoni pulling the strings in midfield.

Harvey Elliott and Tyler Morton are also absent from the squad visiting Preston North End today, as they take an extended break after helping England win the U21 European Championships.

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