Liverpool’s Defense Is So Thin They Might Have to Play a Kid Against Wrexham

Liverpool’s backline is in rough shape heading into Thursday’s preseason friendly against Wrexham at Yankee Stadium. Like, really rough.

Joe Gomez is the latest casualty, joining Ibrahima Konate and Giovanni Leoni on the injury list. Virgil van Dijk is still doing his own thing in individual training. So new manager Andoni Iraola is left staring at a depth chart that looks thinner than a late-night concession stand.

That means either new signing Jeremy Jacquet gets thrown into the fire for his debut, or we’re looking at academy kids Mor Talla Ndiaye or Ifeanyi Ndukwe stepping into a Premier League-level backline. Against a Wrexham side that just beat Manchester United. No pressure, kids.

The attack has some serious juice back

The good news? Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Ryan Gravenberch are all back in the mix. Federico Chiesa scored last time out and is pushing for a start. That attack suddenly looks dangerous, especially after Liverpool hung four goals on Sunderland in Nashville to open their U.S. tour.

Dominik Szoboszlai and Chiesa both scored in that 4-2 win. Academy guys Kieran Morrison and Lewis Koumas added second-half goals too. The front line is building something, even as the back line is held together with tape and hope.

Still out: Hugo Ekitike and Conor Bradley (injured). Alisson Becker, Cody Gakpo, and Alexis Mac Allister are still on vacation, which is a polite way of saying they’re not back from international duty yet.

Wrexham is not here to just take pictures

Phil Parkinson’s side is having a monster preseason. They beat Manchester United 1-0 in a disciplined, grind-it-out kind of game. Then they edged Leeds United 3-2 in a wild one. The Red Dragons look legit, and they’re not scared of anyone.

But there are some concerns. Ryan Hardie and Elliot Lee are listed as heavy doubts after picking up knocks that kept them out of the Leeds match. On the bright side, defender Liberato Cacace is back after his New Zealand international stint.

Parkinson will probably roll with a strong lineup anyway. Expect veteran forward Kieffer Moore leading the line, with Nathan Broadhead and Bailey Cadamarteri causing problems behind him. They’re not going to sit back and let Liverpool’s defenders — whoever they are — have an easy night.

Predicted lineups

Liverpool: Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Ndiaye, Ndukwe, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, McConnell; Morrison, Elliott, Ngumoha; Chiesa

Wrexham: Okonkwo; Vyner, Hyam, Brunt; A. James, O’Brien, M. James, Thomason; Cadamarteri, Broadhead; Moore

The match is live in the UK on Liverpool’s streaming platform All Red Video and LFCTV. For everyone else, you’ll have to find your own way. But honestly, this one is worth watching just to see which teenager ends up marking a veteran Championship forward in a half-empty baseball stadium.