Yokohama Marinos vs Liverpool Xi : Confirmed Team News and Lineup as Ekitike debut as Ngumoha Steps Up Liverpool return…

Liverpool’s lineup against Yokohama Marinos is anticipated with Hugo Ekitike’s debut and a transfer suggestion.

Today, Liverpool will face Yokohama Marinos at the Nissan Stadium. New recruit Hugo Ekitike may make his ‘debut’, while Arne Slot might provide a hint regarding transfers.

Liverpool wraps up its pre-season Asia tour with a match against Yokohama Marinos in Japan. After this game, the Reds will head back to the UK to further prepare for the upcoming season.

As they gear up for their return to Premier League play next month, Liverpool will compete against Yokohama F Marinos in a friendly at Nissan Stadium on Wednesday.

There is ongoing speculation about a potential move for Alexander Isak by the Reds, but the latest striker addition, Hugo Ekitike, could debut in this match.

In their previous outing, Arne Slot’s team suffered a 4-2 defeat to AC Milan. However, this time, the Liverpool head coach has more options at his disposal. We might witness the first showcase of Hugo Ekitike’s abilities at the Nissan Stadium.

During the Milan match, Florian Wirtz and Harvey Elliott operated as a makeshift front two. In this game, Slot has two strikers available: Ekitike and the recently recovered Darwin Nunez.

It is conceivable that Wirtz could play as a number 10 behind one of those forwards, with Elliott potentially stepping in for a similar role if they are on different teams. Additionally, we should expect to see more of Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni.

Alisson Becker will miss the match as he has returned home for personal reasons. Consequently, Giorgi Mamardashvili is expected to start, with Freddie Woodman and Armin Pecsi as possible substitutes.

Liverpool is somewhat short on center-backs. However, the local Japanese fans will be eager to see Wataru Endo, who has been mentioned as a viable option for the defense in various discussions.

Virgil van Dijk could team up with Endo alongside either Andy Robertson or Milos Kerkez at left-back, while Conor Bradley or Jeremie Frimpong could occupy the right-back position. However, Frimpong has frequently been utilized as a winger up to this point.

In the midfield, Ryan Gravenberch may have the opportunity to revert to his preferred position if there are sufficient alternatives in the core of Liverpool’s defense, where he stepped in during the match against Milan. Dominik Szoboszlai is also expected to receive additional playing time.

Alexis Mac Allister has made his return from injury and participated in training with his teammates this week, but he may not yet be prepared for match play. Curtis Jones appeared sharp in his last appearance, and there are also Wirtz and Nyoni who could be integrated into the lineup.

Ngumoha and Cody Gakpo are available options on the left flank, while Mohamed Salah is set to play on the right. The two forwards, with Nunez back from injury, were mentioned previously, and Ben Doak is anticipated to join them on the field.

Luis Diaz did not participate in the match against Milan as he was nearing a transfer to Bayern Munich, which could be finalized today.

Currently, Tyler Morton is drawing interest from Lyon, as reported by The Times, while Nunez, Elliott, and others may have potential exits before the transfer window closes. If anyone is left out, it could indicate that transfers are imminent.

Liverpool is scheduled to face Athletic Club in a double-header at Anfield on Monday. Following that, they will compete against Crystal Palace in the Community Shield at Wembley, which is their only match before the new Premier League season kicks off.

Meanwhile, Hideo Oshima’s Yokohama is gearing up for their return to J1 League action next week, eager to enhance their match fitness.

In their last outing, Marinos followed up their 1-0 derby victory over Yokohama FC by defeating Nagoya Grampus 3-0 on July 20, with goals from Kaina Tanimura, Yan Matheus, and Asahi Uenaka.

This win lifted Oshima’s relegation-threatened team to 18th place, now just three points behind Shonan Bellmare and safety in the top division.

This week, playing on their home ground, the hosts will aim to overcome a disappointing home record that includes only two victories alongside eight losses in their last ten matches.

Moreover, it is worth mentioning that Yokohama has not managed to score in three of their last four games at Nissan Stadium, prompting the manager to focus on enhancing his team’s attacking performance before the league resumes.

Liverpool might give Hugo Ekitike his debut, potentially placing him in the lineup with Mohamed Salah and young talent Rio Ngumoha on Wednesday, while Luis Diaz has departed the squad to finalize a transfer to Bayern Munich.

Florian Wirtz is expected to play just behind them, and if available after returning to full training, Alexis Mac Allister may also see some action.

Throughout the pre-season, Slot has utilized midfielders in defensive roles, and Luca Stephenson may once again feature as a centre-back for Yokohama.

On the Yokohama side, they might be without right-back Ren Kato due to an injury sustained against Grampus, with Ryo Miyaichi likely stepping in this week.

In the forward position, Kaina Nakamura is anticipated to be included in the starting eleven, but if his injury prevents him from playing, Asahi Uenaka could take his place on Wednesday.

Possible starting lineup for Liverpool:

Mamardashvili; Bradley, Stephenson, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Salah, Ekitike, Ngumoha

Possible starting lineup for Yokohama F Marinos:

Ik-Kyu; Miyaichi, Quinones, Deng, Suzuki; Yamane, Aziangbe; Matheus, Inoue, Elber; Taniumra