MatchLiverpool v Crystal Palace: Community Shield team news

Goalkeeper Alisson Becker has rejoined the Reds squad ahead of Sunday’s fixture, having departed the club’s recent pre-season tour due to personal reasons.

Virgil van Dijk was also back in training this week; the captain had been absent for Monday’s friendly double-header with Athletic Club with illness.

Conor Bradley missed those Anfield matches too and head coach Arne Slot said it would be ‘tight’ for the Northern Ireland international to return in time to face Palace.

Joe Gomez remains sidelined but is nearing a comeback from an injury sustained on tour, while Alexis Mac Allister is in contention though not yet ready to play 90 minutes.

“[Mac Allister] will be in the squad,” said Slot. “He was out for two months I think, or longer because we didn’t play him in the last four games of the season. He trained with us since a week now, played 30 minutes, 45 minutes.

“So that’s not a situation where you would start a player [and] play him for 90 minutes. Starting is possible but definitely not for 90 minutes.

“Unfortunately [Gomez] has a minor injury at the moment but he will be back with the team very soon.”

Ryan Gravenberch is available to feature, with his suspension for a sending-off against the Eagles on the final day of 2024-25 to be served when AFC Bournemouth visit Anfield in the Premier League next week.

On the challenge posed by Palace, Slot said: “They do [threaten in multiple ways]: counter-attacks, set-pieces, long balls to [Jean-Philippe] Mateta.

“They have also the individual quality of their forwards, who can create something out of nothing. A very good team.”

At his media briefing ahead of the game, Eagles boss Oliver Glasner confirmed four players he will be without for the meeting with the Reds and the near future.

Cheick Doucoure, Matheus Franca, Caleb Kporha and Eddie Nketiah are those sidelined.

The Emirates FA Cup holders have played six pre-season matches, most recently a double-header against Augsburg on August 1 that saw them win 3-1 and lose 1-0.

“The positive side is the 15 or 16 players who played most of the minutes last year are still here,” said Glasner. “They’ve started at a completely different level compared to last season.

“The basics are there, it’s now just to get back into the rhythm.

“Of course, they could switch off [over the summer] and it was necessary for them, but we’ve started on a different level, with a different mindset and different standard to last year, and this is why we’re looking forward to the season in a very positive way.”

Palace have brought in goalkeeper Walter Benitez and wing-back Borna Sosa during the summer transfer window.

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