Klopp to TNT Sport
“We have to see, it’s all early days for all the teams. Things cannot be settled yet so you have to work really hard to get game ideas on the pitch.”
He added: “The South Americans came back really late. We need them as substitutes. That’s the two offensive changes.
“Ibrahima Konate only came back two days ago, we could have forced it, but Jarell Quansah came on twice and did really well. We trust him so I hope he can enjoy it.”
Debut for Wolves
It’s two changes for Wolves, including a debut.
Deadline day signing Jeanricner Bellegarde comes into midfield, as Hwang Hee-Chan is also recalled. Fabio Silva and Pablo Sarabia are on the bench.
Quansah starts!
So, there was a surprise in the Liverpool XI after all!
Liverpool hand 20-year-old academy defender Jarell Quansah a first start for the club with Ibrahima Konate only fit enough for a place on the bench and Virgil van Dijk suspended. Joe Gomez covers at right-back with Trent Alexander-Arnold injured.
Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz are on the bench with Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo partnering Mohamed Salah up top.
Lineups in full
Wolves XI: Jose Sa, Nelson Semedo, Dawson, Kilman, Ait Nouri, Bellegarde, Lemina, Joao Gomes, Pedro Neto, Matheus Cunha, Hwang
Subs: Doherty, Traore, Silva, Hugo Bueno, Kalajdzic, Doyle, Sarabia, Gomes, Bentley
Liverpool XI: Alisson, Gomez, Quansah, Matip, Robertson, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Jones, Salah, Gakpo, Jota
Subs: Endo, Konate, Diaz, Nunez, Elliott, Tsimikas, Gravenberch, Bajcetic, Kelleher
Wolves XI
…and here are the hosts.
Liverpool XI
Here’s how the Reds look.
Team news is imminent, sounds like there are few surprises in the starting line-up including no Gravenberch.
We will know for sure in less than 15 minutes.
Klopp hopes momentum cotinues to build
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp hopes his squad can pick up the momentum they had before the international break.
“We would’ve loved to have carried on after the Aston Villa game, which was a really good game,” Klopp told reporters on Friday.
“I think 30-odd hours ago, Alexis Mac Allister played in Bolivia, landed yesterday morning at four o’clock. So, let’s see where we can pick up.”
Liverpool bolstered their squad in the close season, adding Argentina’s Mac Allister, Hungary’s Dominik Szoboszlai and Japan international Wataru Endo after losing midfield stalwarts Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia.
“The quality of the players, I’m really, really happy, the potential we have is really good,” Klopp said. “And I love working with them, they are open. It’s nice for a manager as well, to know they didn’t hear it already 500 times before, that some messages are new.
“(This is) year one of a new team, we want to become a new team and not a replica of the other team and that is what we’re working on.”
‘Liverpool in a real good place’
Wolves boss Gary O’Neil expects Liverpool to be title challengers again.
Jurgen Klopp’s side finished fifth last season, 22 points behind champions Manchester City, and were never in the title race. But after three wins from their opening four matches O’Neil believes Klopp will have Liverpool in the hunt for the Premier League this term.
He said: “I’ll be very surprised if they’re not right at the top this year. Of course, as with most people, Man City will be the favourites I’m sure but Liverpool have added a lot of really good players in the summer.
“I would expect them to improve significantly on the points tally they achieved last season. They’ve got 10 points from four games with some difficult fixtures in there as well.
“Managing to win at Newcastle when you’re down to 10 men is an incredible effort. I know how tough it is, as everyone does, to go away to Newcastle and get a result with 11.
“So to be 1-0 down and be as good as they were with 10 men shows that they’re in a real good place.”
Match odds
Wolves are up against it today, but did win this fixture last season.
Wolves: 7/2
Draw: 13/5
Liverpool: 1/2
Odds via Betfair.
