Liverpool vs Chelsea: UEFA Super Cup team news, starting XIs

Liverpool vs Chelsea: starting line-ups

Liverpool XI

Adrián, Gomez, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Milner, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mane, Salah

Chelsea XI

Kepa; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Zouma, Emerson, Kovacic, Jorginho, Kanté, Pedro, Pulisic, Giroud

Liverpool vs Chelsea: team news and predicted line-ups

European champions Liverpool and Europa League victors Chelsea will square off for the UEFA Super Cup in Istanbul on Wednesday evening looking to land the first piece of available silverware of the 2019-20 season.

Jürgen Klopp’s side limbered up for the traditional curtain raiser by sweeping newly promoted Norwich aside 4-1 at the weekend while Frank Lampard’s introduction to top-flight management did not go so smoothly as his Chelsea were thrashed 4-0 by Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Lampard has intimated there will be changes to his side to face Liverpool at the Vodafone Park but the former England midfielder is somewhat hamstrung by the club’s transfer ban and the loss of Eden Hazard, who has probably only now begun to walk completely upright after the weight of carrying Maurizio Sarri’s side through the entirety of last season.

Both managers will rotate with the game coming in between the first and second round of Premier League fixtures but Christian Pulisic is likely to start for Chelsea after a substitute appearance at Old Trafford while Klopp will be forced to throw new addition Adrián straight into the fray with first-choice keeper Alisson out for at least a month.

Liverpool team vs Chelsea: (predicted)

Starting XI: Adrián; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Milner, Fabinho, Henderson; Salah, Firmino, Mané.

Chelsea team vs Liverpool: (predicted)

Starting XI: Kepa; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Christensen, Alonso; Jorginho, Kovacic; Pedro, Mount, Pulisic; Giroud.

Injuries and Suspensions

Liverpool: In addition to Alisson, Klopp will have to contend with the absence of Nathanial Clyne and Dejan Lovren, who has been omitted from the squad with a move to Roma imminent. Naby Keita is unlikely to feature but when you have James Milner nothing is impossible and the versatile utility man may slot into midfield. Sadio Mané, who started on the bench at Old Trafford, should be fit enough to come in alongside Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino, with Divock Origi back on the bench. Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain is also in the market for some minutes after recovering from a long-term injury.

Chelsea: Lampard is likely to be without N’Golo Kanté after the France international picked up another injury from the bench against Manchester United but may consider risking Antonio Rüdiger after Kurt Zouma’s disastrous performance at Old Trafford. Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Callum Hudson-Odoi remain sidelined, while Willian faces a late fitness test.

What the managers said

Jürgen Klopp: “We saw the game against Manchester United and if you only saw the result then you have no idea how the game was because they played a good game. They’ve had a few changes, they have a new manager, lost Eden Hazard, brought in Christian Pulisic, brought in all the young boys like [Tammy] Abraham and Mason Mount. They are a really interesting team [with a] good plan. Frank did an outstanding job last year at Derby, he changed the football there – in the Championship with a football-playing side being successful is really difficult, but he did it.”

Frank Lampard: “Going up against a team with the quality of Liverpool in a final is as tense as finals can be. You can lose them because finals are very tough but what you cannot do is lose on the premise that you weren’t prepared or didn’t have the hunger to try to win a game of this magnitude. It’s going to be tough but we cannot walk off the pitch and think ‘we could have done that’ or ‘we missed that opportunity’ or ‘we weren’t quite ready’. We can’t make any excuses for ourselves. We have to be prepared to win the match.”