BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - Thursday, July 16, 2015: Liverpool players during a training session at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on day four of the club's preseason tour. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Pre-Season 2015/16: Brisbane Roar v Liverpool – Preview

Brendan Rodgers’ Reds arrive in Australia for the second leg of the pre-season tour, where they’ll take on Brisbane Roar on Friday before facing Adelaide United on Monday.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - Wednesday, July 24, 2013: Liverpool's supporters with a Kangaroo before a preseason friendly match against Melbourne Victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Brisbane Roar v Liverpool
Pre-Season Friendly, Friday 17th July 2015
9:45am kick-off, live on LFC TV

Liverpool continue their preparations for the new season on Friday when they play the second match of their pre-season tour against Brisbane Roar.

The Reds opened pre-season with a comfortable 4-0 win on Tuesday against the Thai All Stars – a victory which saw Rodgers’ men claim the True Super Trophy.

The fixture that took place on a tricky surface and in monsoon conditions in Bangkok provided a decent workout for the Reds, with restoring fitness and sharpness the main aim at this early stage.

Rodgers will be hoping for a similarly productive exercise for his squad on Friday, in the first of two matches Liverpool play in their second trip Down Under.

BANGKOK, THAILAND - Tuesday, July 14, 2015: Liverpool's captain Jordan Henderson lifts the trophy after a 4-0 victory over True Thai Premier League All Stars during the True Super Trophy match at the Rajamangala National Stadium on day two of the club's preseason tour. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

 

Previous Visits & Opposition

Friday’s meeting in Brisbane will be the first time the two sides have met, as well as being Liverpool’s first ever visit to the city.

The fixture will be played at the Suncorp Stadium – the Roar’s home ground – which boasts an impressive capacity of 52,500, and the game is expected to be close to a sell-out for the visit of Rodgers’ squad.

The Brisbane outfit are managed by former Australian international and Premier League midfielder John Aloisi, who had spells at Coventry City and Portsmouth.

He will take charge of his first game as Roar manager against the Reds.

Aloisi is set to be without three key players for the game however, with captain Matt McKay, fellow Australia international Luke DeVere and first-choice goalkeeper Michael Theo all out injured.

Theo’s absence could see back-up stopper Jamie Young – who worked under Rodgers at Championship club Reading in 2009 – come in to face his old manager.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - Wednesday, July 24, 2013: Liverpool supporters during a preseason friendly match against Melbourne Victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Liverpool last travelled to Australia two years ago when they played Melbourne Victory and ran out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Steven Gerrard and Iago Aspas.

The game that day will forever be remembered for the incredible 95,000 sell-out crowd of passionate Reds at Melbourne Cricket Ground, who produced an incredible atmosphere as Rodgers’ side marched to their first ever win on Australian soil.

The Reds will be looking to make it two wins from two in Queensland before heading to Adelaide.

 

Team News

BANGKOK, THAILAND - Tuesday, July 14, 2015: Liverpool's Divock Origi celebrates scoring the fourth goal against True Thai Premier League All Stars during the True Super Trophy match at the Rajamangala National Stadium on day two of the club's preseason tour. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Thankfully it appears the Reds came through unscathed from Tuesday’s game on a poor, cut-up and waterlogged surface in Bangkok, with everyone available to play a part again.

Alberto Moreno was one of six Reds – including five youngsters – not to play in Thailand, making the club’s only recognised senior left-back almost certain to receive his first minutes of pre-season this time around.

Academy graduates Daniel Cleary, Pedro Chirivella, Ryan Kent, Harry Wilson and Sheyi Ojo will all be hopeful of being handed their first action of pre-season too, having been unused substitutes alongside Moreno on Tuesday.

Philippe Coutinho, Emre Can, Tiago Ilori and Roberto Firmino are all still missing again as they enjoy an extended break after end-of-season international activity.

Rodgers fielded a different XI in each half of the match in Bangkok and the Liverpool manager could opt for the same approach again to keep his group’s fitness levels progressing.

However the Northern Irishman could choose to shuffle the selection of his XIs in all departments.

BANGKOK, THAILAND - Tuesday, July 14, 2015: Liverpool's scores the third goal against True Thai Premier League All Stars during the True Super Trophy match at the Rajamangala National Stadium on day two of the club's preseason tour. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

The Reds boss could opt to bring first-half goal-scorers against the All Stars, Lazar Markovic and Mamadou Sakho, into a more ‘first-choice’ looking XI.

Joe Gomez, Joao Teixeira and Danny Ings all equally impressed in the first 45 minutes, and Rodgers could also consider integrating them into a senior-looking team.

Rodgers could, though, keep the majority of the same players together – having overseen a positive first fixture against the All Stars – but switch the XIs to playing in alternative systems.

The first-half lineup in Bangkok started in a pleasing 4-4-2 diamond shape, with the second-45 XI deployed in a 4-3-3.

The Liverpool manager could reverse that this time around allowing his players to familiarise with different systems, making the most of pressure-free match practice.

Likely starting XI: Bogdan; Gomez, Toure, Lovren, Moreno; Lucas, Rossiter, Teixeira, Markovic; Ings, Lambert

Full squad: Mignolet, Bogdan, Fulton, Clyne, Gomez, Lovren, Toure, Wisdom, Moreno, Cleary, Skrtel, Sakho, Maguire, Allen, Henderson, Lucas, Milner, Chirivella Rossiter, Teixeira, Ibe, Kent, Ojo, Wilson, Lallana, Markovic, Ings, Lambert, Origi.

The match will kick off at 9:45am UK time (18:45pm local time) and along with all other pre-season games, will be shown live on LFC TV.