Philippe Coutinho has been named in Jurgen Klopp‘s starting lineup for Liverpool’s third pre-season friendly away to Wigan Athletic.
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The Brazilian spent the first weeks of the summer on holiday following his exploits with Brazil at the Copa America Centenario, but returned to Merseyside on Monday.
After sitting out the Reds’ 5-0 win over Fleetwood Town on Wednesday night, Coutinho is set to start against Gary Caldwell’s Latics.
Joining Coutinho in a strong four-man attack are Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and promising youngster Ovie Ejaria, with Danny Ings on the substitutes’ bench.
Loris Karius keeps his place in goal, with Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip also retained at centre-back.
Injuries to Brad Smith and Alberto Moreno, however, mean Jon Flanagan starts at left-back, with Connor Randall assuming his natural role on the opposite flank.
Twenty-year-old academy midfielder Cameron Brannagan is joined by Kevin Stewart in midfield, in what is likely to be a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Marko Grujic joins Smith and Moreno on Klopp’s list of absentees, with the Serbian suffering from a virus, leaving Lucas Leiva and Trent Alexander-Arnold as midfield cover.
Under-21s goalkeeper Shamal George replaces Adam Bogdan on the bench, with Andre Wisdom, Tiago Ilori, Ryan Kent, Lazar Markovic and Ben Woodburn also poised to feature at some point at the DW Stadium.
Lovren captains the Reds against a Wigan side missing the majority of their regular starters, following yesterday’s friendly defeat to Manchester United.
Liverpool: Karius; Randall, Lovren, Matip, Flanagan; Brannagan, Stewart; Mane, Ejaria, Coutinho; Firmino
Substitutes: George, Wisdom, Ilori, Lucas, Alexander-Arnold, Kent, Markovic, Woodburn, Ings
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