Ipswichvs.Liverpool

Head coach Kieran McKenna heads into the opening weekend with a handful of injury concerns, as all of Harry Clarke (Achilles), George Hirst (knee), Nathan Broadhead (thigh) and Janoi Donacien (adductor) are out, while Cameron Humphreys (unspecified) is a doubt.

However, the hosts' squad has been reinforced with nine new arrivals this summer - which will soon become 10 if Kalvin Phillips joins on loan from Manchester City - and a few of those signings will be present in the first XI here.

Ex-Burnley goalkeeper Arijanet Muric is among them, and the 25-year-old could be shielded by three central defenders in Axel Tuanzebe, George Edmundson and Jacob Greaves, who arrived from Hull City a few weeks ago.

Should McKenna indeed opt for a defence-heavy setup, Ben Johnson and Leif Davis - Ipswich's Players' Player of the Year in 2023-24 - would occupy the wing-back positions, either side of the regular midfield pairing of Sam Morsy and Massimo Luongo.

Following a stellar loan spell last season, Omari Hutchinson returned to Portman Road on a permanent deal from Chelsea this summer, as Ipswich forked out a club-record £20m to capture the ex-Arsenal product.

Hutchinson and Liam Delap - signed from Manchester City - should form two parts of the three-pronged Tractor Boys attack, alongside experienced winger Marcus Harness.

Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:

Muric; Tuanzebe, Edmundson, Greaves; Johnson, Luongo, Morsy, Davis; Hutchinson, Delap, Harness