Liverpool's Defensive Dilemma Ahead of St James' Park Clash
Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool step into the unknown at St James’ Park on Sunday, and one decision hangs over everything: who stands next to Virgil van Dijk?
The new head coach has clarity almost everywhere else. Not at centre-back. With Joe Gomez ruled out after a pre-season injury and Giovanni Leoni already a long-term casualty, Iraola is down to two senior partners for his captain – Araujo and summer signing Jeremy Jacquet.
Both were given a straight audition in the final friendly against Como, each playing 45 minutes. Jacquet even marked his first Anfield appearance with a goal just before the break, a sharp reminder of why Liverpool moved for him.
But the story of his summer complicates things. The French defender has wrestled with fitness across pre-season and has barely played competitive football in six months after undergoing shoulder surgery at Rennes in February. Throwing him straight into one of the Premier League’s most hostile away grounds would be a bold call.
Araujo offers something different: familiarity with the chaos. He has already felt the noise and intensity of St James’ Park and shown he can handle it. For a manager preparing for one of the division’s toughest trips – regardless of Newcastle’s turbulent summer – that experience carries weight. Caution may win out.
Everywhere else, the team almost writes itself. Alisson will anchor a back five that should also feature Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, with van Dijk marshalling the line. In midfield, Ryan Gravenberch is expected to start alongside Dominik Szoboszlai after a strong summer, even though Trey Nyoni did plenty to catch the eye in the warm-up games.
Curtis Jones will not be part of Iraola’s first Premier League XI. The midfielder has flown to Italy to finalise his move to Inter Milan, removing one established option from the manager’s early plans. Alexis Mac Allister, meanwhile, has barely figured in pre-season – just 54 minutes after an extended post-World Cup break – and is unlikely to be thrown straight in from the start.
Out wide, Liverpool’s plans have been shaped by the calendar as much as by tactics. With Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye not expected to arrive before Friday’s registration deadline, Iraola is set to turn to Rio Ngumoha and Cody Gakpo on the flanks, with Florian Wirtz operating in the No 10 role.
Then there is the centre-forward. Alexander Isak returns to St James’ Park for the first time since his £125 million move last summer, a record-breaking transfer that still stings on Tyneside. He can expect a cold welcome from the home crowd and a hot reception from defenders who know exactly what he can do.
A new era for Liverpool. A hostile old stage. And one huge call still to make at the heart of Iraola’s defence.
