Liverpool's Andoni Iraola Era Begins with Centre-Back Dilemma
Liverpool’s new Andoni Iraola era begins at one of the Premier League’s most unforgiving venues, and his first big call is as old as the game itself: who stands next to Virgil van Dijk?
Centre-back call defines opening day
Joe Gomez is out after picking up an injury in pre-season. Giovanni Leoni is already ruled out long term. That strips the options back to two: Araujo or summer signing Jeremy Jacquet.
Both were given a half each in the final warm-up game against Como, Jacquet marking his first Anfield appearance with a goal just before the break. A nice moment, a glimpse of what he offers. But it doesn’t erase the context.
Jacquet has been chasing his fitness all summer. Shoulder surgery at Rennes in February wrecked his rhythm, and the last six months have been light on minutes. Throwing him straight into a full-blooded Premier League opener at St James’ Park would be a bold roll of the dice.
Araujo brings something different: familiarity with the cauldron he is about to walk into. He has already felt the noise, the hostility, the relentlessness of Newcastle away. Iraola knows he can lean on that in what remains one of the division’s toughest away days, even with Newcastle’s turbulent summer.
The pressure of the decision is obvious. Van Dijk is the constant. The identity of his partner could shape the entire afternoon.
A largely settled XI
Beyond that defensive dilemma, the rest of Iraola’s first competitive line-up almost writes itself.
Alisson will anchor the side from goal. Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez are set to complete the back five, offering the width and aggression Iraola demands from his full-backs.
In midfield, Ryan Gravenberch is expected to start, with Dominik Szoboszlai alongside him. Trey Nyoni turned heads in pre-season, but this feels like a day for established operators in the engine room, not experiments.
Curtis Jones will not feature. He has travelled to Italy to finalise his move to Inter Milan, removing another familiar name from the selection pool. Alexis Mac Allister, meanwhile, has logged only 54 minutes in a Liverpool shirt this summer after an extended post-World Cup break. That lack of game time makes a starting role highly unlikely.
Out wide, the picture is just as clear. With Liverpool not expected to complete deals for Bradley Barcola or Ibrahim Mbaye before Friday’s registration cut-off, Rio Ngumoha and Cody Gakpo are in line to start on the flanks. Florian Wirtz should operate in the No 10 role, tasked with knitting everything together between the lines.
Isak’s frosty homecoming
Then there is the man up front.
Alexander Isak returns to St James’ Park for the first time since his record £125 million move last summer. The price tag alone guarantees noise. The manner of his departure means the reception is likely to be colder still.
For Iraola, Isak is the spearhead of a new project. For Newcastle’s supporters, he is the one that got away, back on their turf in different colours and leading the line for a direct rival.
A new manager, a reshaped attack, a defensive call that could define the tone of the season. Liverpool arrive on Tyneside with questions to answer and a statement to make. The only thing left is to see which centre-back Iraola trusts when the whistle blows.
