Echo: Mac Allister unlikely to start against Newcastle, Araujo could partner Van Dijk

Liverpool's final pre-season friendly will be against Como, and Andoni Iraola still has some dilemmas in player selections.

According to the Liverpool Echo, Liverpool suffered a pre-season defeat at Anfield on Sunday, losing 2-3 to Monaco. Isak opened the scoring for the Reds, and Wirtz was also involved in the second goal, but mass substitutions weakened the home side, and Liverpool ultimately fell to defeat.

Iraola's team will play their final warm-up match against Como at Anfield on Sunday evening. The two teams' second-string lineups had already played earlier in the day at the AXA Training Centre.

Below is a look at the adjustments Iraola might make for the team's next game. With only one week left until Liverpool kick off their new Premier League season at Newcastle, Iraola will want to field a lineup as close as possible to the one he plans to use in the first round of the new season.

Iraola hopes that new £60 million centre-back signing Jacquet will make his debut against Liverpool. The French defender has not yet fully recovered from shoulder surgery earlier this year and returned to action.

However, a long layoff means he is unlikely to start away to Newcastle. In that case, Araujo, who is set to join on loan, could partner Van Dijk at centre-back against Como, preparing for his official debut next weekend.

Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni remain absent. Although teenager Ifeanyi Ndubuisi has performed well in recent warm-up matches, he will not be eligible to play in official matches for Liverpool until next season. Wataru Endo, who was forced to play as an emergency centre-back in the second half on Sunday, will also be on standby to continue in that position.

In goal, Alisson is clearly ahead of Mamardashvili and Woodman. Tsimikas has had more playing time at left-back this pre-season, but Kerkez remains Iraola's first choice.

Bradley and Gomez's injuries make Frimpong the team's only available first-team right-back at the moment, though new signing Araujo can also play in that position. Youngsters Luke Chambers and Calvin Ramsay both got playing time against Monaco, but they should not expect much more.

Iraola will have more options in midfield, with Mac Allister having returned to the AXA Training Centre after World Cup duty, while Curtis Jones is also expected to be available again after missing the Monaco game with a slight hip issue. However, the Liverpool manager has previously stated that Mac Allister is not yet ready to start away at Newcastle and, at most, may only be on the bench on Sunday.

Szoboszlai and Gravenberch started as the midfield duo on Sunday and are emerging as the most likely candidates to continue in those positions ahead of the Premier League opener. Niony, who performed well in the warm-up matches, also struggled in the second half against Monaco and is likely to be a substitute.

Wirtz will play in the No. 10 role, while Elliott continues to improve his game. He barely got any playing time at Aston Villa last season.

Against Como, the attacking combination will likely come under the most scrutiny. Isak scored against Monaco, and as his form improves, he should continue as the centre-forward.

Like Mac Allister, new signing Muñoz will not start against Newcastle, but he came on as a substitute on the left wing for the final 30 minutes against Monaco and is expected to get more playing time.

Starting Gakpo in this position still seems to be the leading choice. Rio Ngumoha made his second appearance on the right wing in the second half, replacing a busy Lewis Koumas.

Federico Chiesa's substitute performances have been inconsistent and have failed to earn him more opportunities; Morrison has started on the right wing throughout this season's warm-up matches but did not feature in this game.

AF's PC site is now live! Browse all the latest news, comments, match details, and stats on your computer. Visit: www.allfootballapp.com