Dugout Discussion

Salah and Firmino both start in the Community Shield

Liverpool take on Manchester City in the Community Shield this afternoon and the match could be as big a signpost as any as to how the two sides will line up in Gameweek 1.

Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) and Roberto Firmino (£9.5m) both make their first starts of pre-season for the Reds and are joined by Divock Origi (£5.5m) in the front three.

Sadio Mane (£11.5m) is yet to return following his involvement with Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Alisson (£6.0m), Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.0m), Andrew Robertson (£7.0m) and Virgil van Dijk (£6.5m) all unsurprisingly feature in the Liverpool backline but Joe Gomez (£5.5m) has been given the nod over Joel Matip (£5.5m) to partner van Dijk at centre-half.

James Milner (£5.5m) is ruled out as a precaution due to a tight muscle.

There are no huge shocks in the Manchester City starting XI, with Aymeric Laporte (£6.5m) missing out through injury as expected.

Sergio Aguero (£12.0m), Gabriel Jesus (£9.5m) and Ederson (£6.0m) are only among the substitutes after their late return from the Copa America.

Raheem Sterling (£12.0m) again leads the line for the Citizens and will be flanked by Leroy Sane (£9.5m) and Bernardo Silva (£8.0m).

Kevin De Bruyne (£9.5m) is part of City’s central midfield three, while Oleksandr Zinchenko (£5.5m) starts again at left-back.

Kick-off at Wembley is at 15:00 BST.

 

1,570 Comments Post a Comment
  1. OLLY G
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    (A) KDB and 4.5m defender

    (B) Fraser and 6.5m defender/striker

    Thanks

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      B f you have Sterling, A if not.

  2. Salah’s Sonnet
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Auba or Kane to start the season off with?

    Thanks 🙂

    1. Freshy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Kane for Villa opener

      1. Salah’s Sonnet
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Cheers Freshy

  3. sirmorbach
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Lads, it's only Community Shield.

    1. Dr Van Nostrand
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Never underestimate the communities ability to to widely overestimate everything

  4. thunder_mike
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    How did this change your plans?
    For me it made me worried about owning Ederson, will probably only have Sterling as my only City player.

    And probably 3 Liverpool in my GW1 squad. Salah, TAA and VVD.

  5. SUPER MOKH
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    TAA Zinch > VVD Walker

    Goodnight

    1. RAFA THE GAFFA
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Almost the same thing below possibly

  6. Tsparkes10
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    If I was Pep I'd be playing Otamendi over stones next week

    1. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      He has to play both because Laporte is injured

      1. sirmorbach
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Laporte is already ruled out for the West Ham match?

  7. Salah’s Sonnet
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Commentator: "It won't be an easy game against Norwich"

    LOL

  8. RAFA THE GAFFA
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Bottomed out.

    Best due?

    Robbo-Digne-???-???-Lundstram

    VVD+Walker
    TAA+AWB

  9. SILENTWAR
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Bravo has always been good with penalties

  10. New Post
  11. Siggy in the Middle
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    How was Oleksandr ‘KDB’ Zinchenko? Likely to keep his place?

    1. Corgz Dark side of the Loon
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Had a few dodgy moments but grew into the game. He will be fine....

  12. cheeky moses
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Alright lads, which one do you prefer?

    A) 4-4-2
    Ryan
    Robbo, TAA, Digne, Coleman
    Salah, Sterling, Fraser, Perez
    Wilson, Jota

    B) 3-4-3
    Ryan
    VVD, Digne, Zinc
    Salah, Sterling, KDB, Perez
    Wilson, Jota, Murray

  13. CelticBhoy1
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    How much is Barkley expected to feature this season?

    1. E25
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Not nailed imo although lamps seems to like him

  14. MarcusAurelius
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    RMT

    Heaton
    TAA VVD AWB Diop
    Siggy Salah KDB Fraser
    Kane King

    Subs. Button Kelly Dendoncker Hayden

    1. The Senate
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Like it
      Heaton isn’t the best option but keeper options seem poor this year

  15. Willos Wanderers
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    How was Zinchenko today?

    1. Pukki Blinders
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      not great. Worried Mendy/angelino will rotate now for sure.

  16. balint84
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    RMT too

    Heaton-(Ryan)
    Robbo-Kiko-Zinch-KWP-(Kelly)
    Salah(C)-KDB-Pulisic-Perez-(McGinn)
    Kane-Wilson-(Wickham)

    0itb
    gw1: 4-4-2
    gw2: 3-5-2 (kwp bench or sell)

    1. E25
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      You prefer Heaton over Pope?

      Solid team.

      1. balint84
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Burnley conceded too much last season
        and I dropped Pulisic for Martial

  17. JohnnyMagrinho
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Love the knee-jerk responses flooding in already.

      Great way to kick the new season off.

      Very humourous.

    • mcgrejam
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Some of the posts in here are hilarious!

      KDB now essential
      Not worth doubling up on Liverpool defence
      And even Ederson being dropped

      1. George Sillett
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        All the usual nonsense. It will only get worse too.

    • The Senate
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Bottomed!
      (A) Ederson, TAA, Bernardo, Maddison

      (B) Pickford/Lloris, VVD, KDB, Ayoze

      Rest:
      Robbo AWB Coleman
      Salah Zaha
      Kane Jota
      (4.0 Lund Donck Gwood)

    • The Seagulls and the Trawle…
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      On KdB’s game.
      Very promising indeed, he was going forward much and was quite sharp. But he was playing Liverpool with a very high defense, he was the one in midfield asked to make those runs in behind. Not sure that his forward going activity will be the same against deep-lying defenses, which will be pretty much the rest of the teams. Curious to see his activity and heatmap in these situations, compared to Bilva for example.

      But he looks sharp and in good shape (I guess he was taken out as a precaution).

    • BrutalLogiC
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      What's going on with Mane? He's been such a strong season starter last 2 years hasn't he?

      1. LanMi
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Probably he's not gonna play first 2 GWs due to the late involvement at African Cup of Nations.

      2. E25
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        afcon

    • LanMi
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Guys, your thoughts on this one?

      Heaton-Foster

      Dunk-Robertson-Coleman-Zinchenko-Diop

      Sigurdsson-Bernardo Silva-Salah-Maddison-El Ghazi

      Jota-Lacazette-King

      1. E25
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Laca injured?

    • North_East_FF_Pro
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Evening guys! Please give you a moment of your time to RMT:)

      Ryan (Button)
      Arnold-A, boly, Zinch, (Dunk, Lundstradt)
      Salah, sterling, Perez, ward-prowse (Dendoncker)
      Kane, king, jota

    • The Big Fella
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Who has done the best transfer business this summer? I am going to say Arsenal. They have brought in another winger, a number 10 and now possibly Coutinho. They need a centreback but if they get one, I think they can really challenge for top 4 this year.

      1. LanMi
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Where did you hear Coutinho is coming to Arsenal?

        1. The Big Fella
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          Read it the other day then again this morning and then Sky Sports Transfers say it is pretty much a done deal. On loan for 1 season.

          1. LanMi
            • 6 Years
            4 years, 8 months ago

            That would be awesome.

    • Jimmy Boy
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      New draft, rearranged to get Gomez and KDB in after today's game:

      Heaton
      Zinchenko - Gomez - Robbo
      Sterling - KDB - Salah (c) - Perez - Doucoure
      Rashford - Adams

      4.0m - Kelly - Lundstram - Greenwood

      Is Rashford a good enough option up front?

    • Offside
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Ederson

      AWB
      Zinchenko
      Coleman

      Salah
      Barkley
      Perez
      Fraser

      Kane
      Vardy
      Wilson

    • North_East_FF_Pro
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Evening guys! Please give you a moment of your time to RMT:)

      Ryan (Button)
      Arnold-A, boly, Zinch, (Dunk, Lundstradt)
      Salah, sterling, Perez, ward-prowse (Dendoncker)
      Kane, king, jota..

      1. E25
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Solid team. Not keen on JWP though

    • GoodFella93
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Gomez nailed? I have a feeling it's him and VVD all season injuries allowing.

      1. E25
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Definitely not.

    • sirmorbach
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Lads, to those of you who've actually watched it.. did we learn anything about Arsenal today?