£4.0m FPL defender Tsimikas impresses in injured Robertson’s stead

We round up the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) talking points from Monday’s pre-season match at Anfield in our latest Scout Notes article.

You can read about the goals, assists, injury news and FPL takeaways from the weekend’s games below:

• READ MORE: How Jack Grealish fared on his City debut and other Community Shield lessons
• READ MORE: Norwich’s disrupted pre-season bodes well for Liverpool in GW1
• READ MORE: Toney and Calvert-Lewin injury updates
• READ MORE: Benrahma’s form, Semedo’s absence and Leeds injuries
• READ MORE: Robertson and Watkins injury latest as Son starts up front again in Kane absence

Don’t forget to check out our comprehensive pre-season page for more information on the action taking place ahead of Gameweek 1.

LIVERPOOL 3-1 OSASUNA

• Goals: own-goal, Roberto Firmino x2 (£9.0m)
• Assists: Fabinho (£5.5m), Kostas Tsimikas (£4.0m), Takumi Minamino (£5.5m)

Liverpool completed their pre-season schedule with a routine 3-1 win over La Liga outfit Osasuna at Anfield on Monday night.

24 hours on from the 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao, Jürgen Klopp fielded a selection of first-teamers in need of minutes and fringe players.

Takumi Minamino (£5.5m) was lively throughout and netted the opener before Roberto Firmino (£9.0m) converted an excellent low cross from Kostas Tsimikas (£4.0m) and added a second just before half-time.

As one of the later arrivals to the squad, having reached the final of the Copa América with Brazil, Firmino got 60 minutes in the tank and will have done his prospects no harm at all with an excellent showing – something that’s not ideal for Diogo Jota (£7.5m) and his first-team prospects.

The second half was a rather more subdued affair, with Klopp introducing a raft of substitutions.

Ibrahima Konaté (£5.5m) caught the eye with his distribution from the back on his first Anfield appearance, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (£6.0m) looked sharp in midfield, while Tsimikas impressed with an adventurous display from left-back and was also handed some set-pieces. 

Prior to kick-off, Andrew Robertson (£7.0m) took to social media to confirm a period on the sidelines with ankle ligament damage, which was later discussed by Jürgen Klopp, with his manager’s comments suggesting that he could be out until after the international break:

“It could have been much worse. It will not be too long. I’m not sure if it will be before the international break or after it but, as I say, I think we got lucky.”

Given Tsimikas’ solid pre-season, he could well be a starter against Norwich City in Gameweek 1, then.

On the performance, Klopp said:

“The first half was absolutely exceptional in many different departments. There were a lot of long ball and I liked our formation around that and how we passed the ball forward with Bobby in between the lines.

From a speed perspective, we were exceptional today and Ox was on fire. Fab controlled the counter-pressing situations and how it should be. The last line were good, we defended well and the goals we scored were outstanding. The second half was harder but there’s nothing really to moan about.

With all the changes, I didn’t feel we really disrupted the rhythm so it was good. Ben [Woodburn] has shown up in a top, top way. In pre-season, he’s played in four or five different positions.

Kostas has also shown up in pre-season as well and on top of that, he’s needed as well.”

On this evidence, Liverpool look all set for their Premier League opener against Norwich City on Saturday.

Liverpool XI: Kelleher, N Williams (Bradley 80), Konate (Davies 80), Gomez (R Williams 60), Tsimikas (Beck 71), Oxlade-Chamberlain, Fabinho (Thiago 60), Jones (Woodburn 30), Gordon (Origi 46), Minamino (Henderson 71), Firmino (Clarkson 60)