4 things to look out for in Liverpool's pre-season clash against Greuther Furth

Liverpool's second pre-season clash gets underway at midday on Monday, as the Reds hope for another emphatic win against German second division outfit Greuther Furth.

After claiming victory against Furth's German counterparts Karlsruher SC last week, thanks to a brilliantly clinical late Diogo Jota double, Jurgen Klopp will be hoping to turn one win into two, as he continues to get his squad match fit for the gruelling season ahead.

If last Wednesday's game is anything to go by, fans should expect to, once again, see a completely different XI in each half, with 22 players all fighting to prove while they should be in contention for a start against Chelsea on game week one of the Premier League next month.

Let's look at four things to look our for as Liverpool face Greuther Furth this afternoon.

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Will Dom feature?

The injury curse of Liverpool's number eight seems to have moved from Naby Keita to Dominik Szoboszlai — albeit in a very minor form.

The Hungarian wasn't pictured in training at the weekend after rumours that he had rolled his ankle.

While a very minor knock, it is unlikely Reds fans will see their new £60m summer signing in action again this afternoon, with Jurgen Klopp and the medical team said to be not willing to risk their new midfielder, especially since he hasn't been training.

Whether Szoboszlai makes a small cameo towards the end of the game remains to be seen, but he certainly shouldn't be in contention for a start - in either the first or second half.

Another midfield start for Trent?

One of the major talking points after the line-up announcement for the Karlsruher game, was undoubtedly Trent Alexander-Arnold's position.

Sitting in a deep lying midfield role, Liverpool fans were naturally excited to see Jurgen Klopp utilise his number 66 in the middle of the park, a position that many have speculated could be for him to make his own this season.

This positional switch could have been a pre-planned tactical decision, or the more likely answer could lie in the unavailability of Liverpool's other midfield options - Jordan Henderson and Fabinho missed out while negotiating moves, Thiago Alcántara and Stefan Bajcetic were, and still are, recovering from injury, while U21 Euro champions Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones were yet to start their pre-season campaigns.

However, with England's young lions returning from European glory and in contention to start - as well as Stefan Bajcetic edging closer to full fitness – if Trent were to start in the midfield today, it would be slightly more telling and could potentially indicate a longer-term midfield stint.

A goal for Alexis Mac Allister?

I can't imagine many things would bring more excitement from this fixture than if Liverpool's new World Cup winner were to get himself on the scoresheet.

After coming on in the second half versus Karlsruher, the Argentine instantly impressed with his excellent close-control and eagerness for a pass, which eventually culminated in a late debut assist for Diogo Jota – a player he formed an instant connection with on the pitch.

With Liverpool's new number 10 hunting for a first-half start this afternoon, he'll want to one up last week's performance, and what better way to do that than to open your goalscoring account?

Harvey Elliott's position?

After returning to training with Curtis Jones on Thursday following their international triumph, many Liverpool fans, and even Harvey Elliott himself, may be wondering where the 20-year-old will be deployed this season.

The youngster made incredible strides in the Reds' first team last season. In fact, only Jordan Henderson and Fabinho played more minutes in midfield for the club, and both are all-but-confirmed to be playing in Saudi Arabia in 2023/24.

Naturally, that may have opened the door for Elliott to be one of the first names on the team sheet.

READ MORE: Where does Harvey Elliott fit in Liverpool's midfield rebuild?

However, now that a midfield rebuild is well and truly underway, with the likes of Szoboszlai and Mac Allister already through the door and a plethora of others reliably linked, is it possible that the youngster could actually play less minutes that last year?

Many have argued over Elliott's best position, with the role of Mohamed Salah's right-wing understudy often coming into contention. Although, with Ben Doak impressing against Karlsruher last week, there may be competition there.

If Elliott is to start, it will be interesting to see where – and what indication this may give for the long-term.