Andoni Iraola's Centre-back Decision for Liverpool's First Big Night
Andoni Iraola walks into St James’ Park on Sunday with a clear idea of what he wants Liverpool to look like. But one decision still hangs over everything: who stands next to Virgil van Dijk?
Centre-back call defines Iraola’s first big night
Joe Gomez is out after picking up an injury in pre-season. Giovanni Leoni is already ruled out long term. Strip it all back and Iraola is left with two senior partners for his captain – Araujo and summer signing Jeremy Jacquet.
Both were given a half each in the final friendly against Como, a gentle dress rehearsal before the Premier League storm. Jacquet made the most eye-catching contribution, marking his first Anfield outing with a goal just before the break.
That moment turned heads. His fitness record tempers the excitement.
The French defender has battled his way through a stop-start pre-season, short of rhythm and short of minutes after shoulder surgery with Rennes back in February. Six months of disrupted football is not an easy platform to step from straight into one of the most hostile grounds in the league.
That is where Araujo’s case strengthens. He has already felt the noise and needle of St James’ Park and come through it. Iraola knows he can trust him in a fixture that still ranks among the most demanding away days in the Premier League, even with Newcastle’s summer turbulence.
The temptation to throw Jacquet in will be there. The sensible call might be to hold him back.
A Liverpool XI that almost picks itself
Beyond that central defensive dilemma, the rest of Liverpool’s starting XI is largely locked in.
Alisson anchors the side in goal. Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez complete the back five alongside Van Dijk and whoever wins that centre-back shootout.
In midfield, Ryan Gravenberch is in line to start with Dominik Szoboszlai. Trey Nyoni has impressed across the summer, showing flashes that hint at a bigger role to come, but this feels like a day for established operators.
Curtis Jones will play no part. He has flown to Italy to finalise his move to Inter Milan, drawing a firm line under his Liverpool involvement for this weekend at least.
Alexis Mac Allister is unlikely to come in from the start either. After an extended break following the World Cup, he has managed just 54 minutes for Liverpool in pre-season, not enough to demand a starting berth in a game of this intensity.
Out wide, the picture is equally clear. With Liverpool not expected to complete deals for Bradley Barcola or Ibrahim Mbaye before Friday’s registration cut-off, Rio Ngumoha and Cody Gakpo are poised to start on the flanks. Florian Wirtz should slot into the No 10 role, tasked with knitting everything together between the lines.
Isak’s return adds edge to St James’ Park
And then there is the centre-forward. And the story writes itself.
Alexander Isak leads the line for Liverpool on his first return to Newcastle since that record £125 million move last summer. The fee alone would guarantee an atmosphere. The manner of the transfer means the welcome is likely to be even colder.
Home supporters are expected to let him know exactly what they think of how that move unfolded. Every touch, every run, every miss will carry an extra charge.
For Iraola, it all feeds into the drama of his first Premier League assignment. A new era, a hostile ground, a key defensive decision, and a star striker walking back into the storm he left behind.
Liverpool’s shape looks settled. The mood around St James’ Park will be anything but.
