da luck： The Uruguayan has been in good form in pre-season but is arguably fifth in the forward pecking order at Anfield

da brdice： Decisions, decisions, Jurgen Klopp has plenty of important ones to make as Liverpool kick-off their Premier League campaign with an intriguing clash with big-spending Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon.

The Reds were severely punished for failing to strengthen their midfield last summer, with the likes of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson suffering perhaps inevitable dips in form after a 64-game quadruple bid in 2021-22 ended in agony, as Jurgen Klopp's team were pipped to the English title by a point before losing to a Real Madrid side they had outplayed in the Champions League final.

The net result was the backline being brutally exposed as Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League, despite a late surge that saw them collect 25 of a possible 33 points – only champions Manchester City managed more over the closing 11 rounds (28).

So, can Liverpool re-establish themselves as a top-four team? Summer signings Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai should certainly help but, as it stands, Klopp has no specialist No.6, with both Fabinho and Henderson having been sold to Saudi Arabian sides, and the farcical pursuits of Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo set to end in disappointment, and embarrassment.

As a result, the manager still has a significant problem to solve in midfield, but at least his selection dilemma in attack is of the positive variety, given the depth of Liverpool's offensive options.

So, unless Lavia or Caicedo is signed, who should be in Klopp's first-choice starting line-up this season? GOAL breaks it all down below…

Getty ImagesGK: Alisson Becker

Alisson is Liverpool's undisputed No.1 and arguably the best goalkeeper in the world, which is precisely why Caoimhin Kelleher is looking for a move away from Anfield. The Brazilian was also one of the few Reds to perform anything close to their best last season.

Indeed, even though Alisson was repeatedly let down by his defence, only David de Gea managed to keep more clean sheets than the 30-year-old (14).

AdvertisementGetty ImagesRB: Trent Alexander-Arnold

Trent Alexander-Arnold is Liverpool's only real option at right-back despite question marks over his defensive qualities – and an ongoing debate over whether he would be better deployed in midfield.

It's hard not to feel a little bit sorry for Alexander-Arnoldat times. He's often caught out of position, but often because he's asked to perform this hybrid role where he serves as an auxiliary midfielder. It's a problem that still hasn't been adequately addressed by Klopp, who has reaffirmed his faith in the local hero by making him vice-captain for the coming campaign.

So, Alexander-Arnold is a certain starter in defence, for now at least.

(C)Getty ImagesCB: Ibrahima Konate

Because of his strength and, more importantly, his pace, Ibrahima Konate is definitely still the best option to start alongside Virgil van Dijk, although that's maybe not saying a lot given the alternatives are the pace-less Joel Matip and the injury-prone Joe Gomez.

The Frenchman remains worryingly error-prone, and serving as Liverpool's right-sided centre-back is not easy given Alexander-Arnold has the freedom to get forward. But Konate's potential is obvious and if he can hone his powers of concentration, he has everything in his locker to become a top-class centre-back.

Getty ImagesCB: Virgil van Dijk

Van Dijk may never again be the player he was before being broken up by Jordan Pickford at Goodison Park three years ago, but there were signs last season that he was getting back to something approaching his peerless best.

Klopp certainly seems to think that the Netherlands international will be a fixture in his defence for a few more years yet, having handed Van Dijk the captain's armband after Henderson's summer switch to Saudi Arabia.