Andoni Iraola’s first game in charge of Liverpool ended in a 4-2 victory over Sunderland in Nashville at the weekend, and the new head coach will be looking for a similar result when his side face Wrexham on Wednesday.
Kieran Morrison put the Reds ahead early against Sunderland, only for the Black Cats to lead 2-1 shortly after half-time by targeting Liverpool’s inexperienced central defence. Dominik Szoboszlai, brought on and given the captain’s armband, levelled with a fine strike before Federico Chiesa and Lewis Koumas made sure of the win.
It was a promising opener for Iraola, particularly given the impact of academy graduates Morrison and Koumas at a time when Liverpool are still in the market for attacking reinforcements. The Reds could have more firepower at their disposal this week, too, with Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Ryan Gravenberch all back in the squad following an extended break after the World Cup.
Milos Kerkez should start at left-back and the Hungary international has outlined his delight at working with Iraola once again following their time together at Bournemouth.
The 22-year-old told reporters in Chicago: “I was delighted, honestly. I worked for him before and he helped me and improved me a lot in the two years that I spent with him. I was really happy, obviously for myself but also for the team. Everyone knows what type of football he plays so I think he is the perfect fit for us.
“What makes him a special coach? The intensity. It’s the intensity. He’s not scared to play one-on-one all over the pitch, to press high and to be on the front foot always.
“The guys are doing good. The first couple of sessions, they were getting used to it but now they are getting better and better. I think the guys like how he works. I like it, they like it. I think it is going to suit the team perfectly.”
Wrexham arrive in good heart. Phil Parkinson’s side narrowly missed out on the Championship play-offs last season but have enjoyed a strong pre-season, beating Manchester United 1-0 through a first-half Sam Smith goal before coming from behind twice to beat Leeds United 3-2.
Having already got the better of two Premier League sides this summer, and with two clean sheets in their last three outings, Wrexham will fancy their chances of giving Liverpool’s makeshift defence a difficult evening.
Team News for Liverpool v Wrexham
Liverpool remain without long-term absentees Hugo Ekitike (Achilles), Wataru Endo (ankle), Conor Bradley (knee) and Giovanni Leoni (knee). Captain Joe Gomez is a fresh doubt after picking up a knock against Sunderland and is unlikely to feature, while fellow centre-back Jeremy Jacquet is not yet 100% fit.
That should mean another start for academy pairing Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye at the heart of the defence, flanked by Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong. Isak, Wirtz and Gravenberch are unlikely to play but could be on the bench.
Wrexham should be able to select from a similar group to the one that beat Leeds, with Kieffer Moore leading the line and Arthur Okonkwo continuing in goal behind a back three.
Expected line-ups for Liverpool v Wrexham
Liverpool: Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Ndukwe, Ndiaye, Kerkez; Nyoni, Jones; Morrison, Szoboszlai, Ngumoha; Koumas
Wrexham: Okonkwo; Vyner, Hyam, Brunt; A. James, O’Brien, M. James, Thomason; Cadamarteri, Broadhead; Moore
How to watch Liverpool v Wrexham: TV and online streams
Liverpool versus Wrexham kicks off on Wednesday night at 7:30pm local time, which is 12:30am UK time in the early hours of Thursday. The game is not on TV in the UK but you can watch it on LFCTV, All Red Video and wrexhamafc.co.uk.
Stats for Liverpool v Wrexham
- Liverpool and Wrexham have met just twice before, with the Merseysiders winning both games
- Wrexham have already beaten Premier League sides Manchester United and Leeds United this pre-season
Prediction for Liverpool v Wrexham
Pre-season games are always tricky to call given the amount of rotation involved but Wrexham have already shown they can trouble Premier League opposition this summer and Liverpool’s inexperienced back line could be exposed again.
Prediction: Liverpool 2-2 Wrexham
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