Liverpool's New Era XI vs Nottingham Forest: Iraola's First Match
Anfield opens its doors for the 2026-27 season with a familiar warning hanging in the air: Nottingham Forest like this place. They have won on their last two visits. Their new head coach, Oliver Glasner, also did the double over Liverpool last season while in charge of Crystal Palace.
Now he walks back into Anfield with Forest, up against a Liverpool side beginning life under Andoni Iraola in front of the Kop for the first time. The welcome will be warm. The margin for error will not.
Selection headaches and absentees
Liverpool arrive at their home opener already patched up in key areas.
Joe Gomez misses out again as he continues to recover from the hamstring problem that cut short his pre-season. In defence, he is not alone on the treatment table: Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley are also unavailable with long-term issues, thinning Iraola’s options at the back.
The injury list stretches further forward. Hugo Ekitike is ruled out until after Christmas with an achilles injury, removing one of Liverpool’s attacking alternatives for the first half of the campaign.
Federico Chiesa remains a doubt after sitting out last week’s 2-2 draw at Newcastle United. Even if fit, he faces fierce competition just to make the matchday squad, such is the congestion in the advanced roles.
Harvey Elliott will not feature either, as he edges closer to an exit from the club. For a player once viewed as a pillar of Liverpool’s future, his absence from the squad underlines how quickly this team is being reshaped.
Liverpool’s confirmed XI vs Nottingham Forest
Iraola’s first Anfield lineup carries a clear attacking intent:
Liverpool XI: Alisson; Frimpong, Jacquet, Van Dijk (C), Kerkez; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Gakpo, Munoz, Isak.
On the bench, there is depth and a hint of the club’s long-term planning:
Substitutes: Mamardashvili, Araujo, Tsimikas, Endo, Gravenberch, Nyoni, McConnell, Koumas, Ngumoha.
Virgil van Dijk anchors the defence as captain, with new-look support around him. Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez offer thrust from the full-back positions, while Alisson provides the usual security behind a back line still knitting itself together.
In midfield, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Florian Wirtz form a technically gifted trio designed to dominate the ball and punch through Forest’s structure. Ahead of them, Cody Gakpo and Luis Munoz support Alexander Isak, whose presence through the middle gives Liverpool a focal point to pin Forest’s defence.
Forest know this ground. Glasner knows this opponent. Liverpool, under new management and with a refreshed core, know they cannot let history repeat itself.
