New formation, new captain, new Mohamed Salah role - How Arne Slot first Liverpool XI could look

Liverpool still have 11 internationals away competing at Euro 2024 and Copa America after the latest rounds came to a close.

After Cody Gakpo helped fire Netherlands into the Euro 2024 round of 16, the Reds have seven European representatives participating in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, all four of their South American contingent have reached the final eight of the Copa America after the group stages drew to a close on Tuesday night.

The next round of fixtures in the two tournaments take place between July 4 and July 6. And while at least two Liverpool players are guaranteed to suffer elimination, with Diogo Jota’s Portugal facing Ibrahima Konate’s France and Darwin Nunez’s Uruguay taking on Alisson Becker’s Brazil, the Reds already know they will be without all 11 internationals when they fly to Pittsburgh for the start of their pre-season tour of the United States on July 23.

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Liverpool traditionally grant their players a three-week holiday after their off-season international exploits. Consequently, the U.S. tour will already be underway when their next batch of internationals report back.

With the Euro 2024 and Copa America finals both taking place on July 14, further progress in either tournament could well result in missing the Reds’ tour of the United States entirely.

First locking horns with Real Betis in the early hours of Saturday 27 July (UK time), such a game will currently act as Arne Slot’s first match as Liverpool head coach. Further friendlies are scheduled against Arsenal on August 1 (UK time) and Manchester United on August 4 (UK time).

So while the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Trent-Alexander Arnold, Luis Diaz and Alexis Mac Allister will all be missing, we take a look instead at the side Slot could pick for that first friendly against the La Liga outfit…

Sepp starts as Robertson named captain

It’s well-documented at this point that Sepp van den Berg wants to leave Liverpool and return to Mainz 05 after a successful loan. However, the Bundesligsa outfit’s sporting director, Christian Heidel, has admitted they are being made to wait with the Reds due to be short on centre-backs when pre-season gets underway.

Had he not declared in an interview that he would like to leave, then you would expect club bosses to want to assess the defender off the back of a successful season away from Anfield. Of course, they still could do so even if a summer exit now seems likely.

Van den Berg will be made to wait for his future to be resolved as a result, and could start alongside Jarell Quansah against Real Betis as a result with Van Dijk, Konate and Joe Gomez not yet back in pre-season. Alternatively, Nat Phillips could start, even though he too is expected to depart this summer.

In a dream world, Liverpool would love to select Leny Yoro as they continue to monitor the Lille defender’s situation. However, the teenager still favours a move to Real Madrid.

After suffering a group-stage exit at Euro 2024 with Scotland, Andy Robertson will have been back in pre-season for two weeks at this point. Consequently, he should be fit enough to start and takes the captaincy too as the highest-ranking member of the Reds’ leadership group in the squad.

If not, Kostas Tsimikas, Owen Beck, Luke Chambers and Calum Scanlon are all vying for such a berth instead.

Conor Bradleystarts at right-back while Caoimhin Kelleher gets the nod in goal. While the Irishman’s future remains uncertain, Alisson will likely not yet back in pre-season.

Vitezslav Jaros is the most senior alternative if Kelleher has been sold.

Change of formation as Carvalho returns

Slot has got form for playing a 4-2-3-1 formation, so we’ll assume that is what he plans to utilise in pre-season for the sake of this article.

Spared Olympic Games duty with Japan, Wataru Endo starts as part of a double-pivot, and could be partnered by Curtis Jones. However, with the likes of Stefan Bajcetic, James McConnell and Tyler Morton the alternatives, Slot may wish to split the senior pair and opt for a mixture of experience and youth in each half against Real Betis.

With the quartet the deeper options, there is competition for who starts at number 10 for Liverpool. Fabio Carvalho can get the nod on this occasion, and in his favoured position no less, as club bosses continue to assess him following a successful loan with Hull City.

Harvey Elliottand Dominik Szoboszlai are options to start as inverted widemen on either flank, with the likes of Ben Doak, Kaide Gordon and Lewis Koumas youthful alternatives in reserve. Meanwhile, Bobby Clark is also an option to play deeper, as a 10 or outwide.

A new role for Salah

Mohamed Salah will be the star attraction for Liverpool in the United States, and is the only one of the Reds’ five senior forwards who will actually be available to face Real Betis.

With limited attacking options available as a result, the Egyptian gets the nod to lead the line down the middle in what would be a new role. However, Slot could field him on the right if he wished, with Elliott then operating at number 10 with Carvalho stationed as a false nine.

After an impressive breakthrough season last year, Jayden Danns is the alternative off the bench and will be hungry to push on under his new head coach.

While Newcastle United recently approached Liverpool regarding a possible deal for Anthony Gordon as they looked to raise funds in order to comply with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules, even if the Reds did sign the England international this summer, he would likely not be back in time to make an unofficial debut against Real Betis due to his Euro 2024 exploits.

Possible Liverpool XI vs Real Betis (4-2-3-1): Kelleher; Bradley, Van den Berg, Quansah, Robertson; Endo, Jones; Elliott, Carvalho, Szoboszlai; Salah.

Other squad members: Pitaluga, Jaros, Davies, Tsimikas, Clark, Chambers, Bajcetic, Phillips, Scanlon, Gordon, Doak, McConnell, Beck, Nallo, Koumas, Danns, Morton, Nyoni.