Team guides · Liverpool
Liverpool FPL team guide 2026/27
Squad, fixture runs and rotation partners
Squad leaders
The fastest routes into this club's player pool.
Points and form from 2025/26.
Schedule pulse
Difficulty across the next 5 listed fixtures.
Attack vs defence
Bawler's own split — the same run can be kind to one end and cruel to the other.
Rated 1 (easiest) to 5 from the opponent's attacking and defensive strength, not the official single number. How it's built →
Squad
34 players in the FPL game, by position.
| Player | Owned | Pts | xPts | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | ||||
| A.BeckerNailed | 5.1% | 91 | 2.91 | £5.4 |
| MamardashviliBackup | 0.7% | 34 | 0.33 | £4.1 |
| WoodmanFringe | 0.3% | 6 | 0.10 | £3.9 |
| Pécsi | 0.9% | 0 | — | £3.8 |
| Defenders | ||||
| VirgilNailed | 31.5% | 175 | 3.82 | £6.1 |
| Frimpong | 4.9% | 63 | 2.17 | £5.7 |
| Robertson | 1.2% | 55 | — | £5.7 |
| Kerkez | 2.9% | 85 | 2.47 | £5.6 |
| Konaté | 3.8% | 129 | — | £5.4 |
| BradleyOUT | 0.1% | 42 | 0.00 | £4.9 |
| GomezOUT | 0.2% | 33 | 0.00 | £4.9 |
| LeoniOUT | 0.0% | 0 | 0.00 | £4.9 |
| LuckyFringe | 0.0% | 0 | 0.03 | £4.0 |
| Ndiaye | 0.0% | 0 | — | £4.0 |
| Nallo | 0.9% | 0 | — | £3.7 |
| R.Williams | 0.5% | 0 | — | £3.7 |
| RamsayFringe | 0.3% | 0 | 0.05 | £3.7 |
| Midfielders | ||||
| M.Salah | 15.2% | 123 | — | £14.0 |
| WirtzNailed | 8.5% | 125 | 3.92 | £8.3 |
| Gakpo | 5.6% | 131 | 2.34 | £7.3 |
| Szoboszlai | 15.1% | 160 | 3.01 | £7.1 |
| ChiesaRotation | 0.3% | 37 | 1.42 | £6.3 |
| Mac Allister | 1.8% | 108 | 2.59 | £6.1 |
| GravenberchNailed | 3.7% | 144 | 2.71 | £5.4 |
| C.JonesRotation | 0.1% | 81 | 1.36 | £5.4 |
| EndoFringe | 0.1% | 12 | 0.41 | £4.9 |
| Morrison | 0.0% | 0 | — | £4.5 |
| NgumohaBattle | 1.4% | 43 | 2.28 | £4.3 |
| NyoniFringe | 0.3% | 6 | 0.38 | £4.3 |
| BajceticOUT | 0.2% | 0 | 0.05 | £4.2 |
| Forwards | ||||
| IsakNailed | 3.8% | 41 | 4.05 | £10.3 |
| EkitikéOUT | 15.7% | 125 | 0.00 | £9.0 |
| Wright | 0.0% | 0 | — | £4.5 |
| DannsOUT | 0.1% | 0 | 0.00 | £4.3 |
Points from 2025/26. xPts is Bawler's projected points per gameweek — fixture-adjusted and weighted by how likely the player is to start. Full projections →
Rotation partners
Own one from each pair and start whichever has the kinder week.
Scored by taking the easier of the two clubs' fixtures each gameweek across the listed horizon.
Fixture run
Every listed fixture ahead, coloured by official FPL difficulty.
Latest updates
Iraola said of the £60m Rennes signing: 'we were in doubt whether to pick him today, should be fine for next one.' Jacquet has still not made his Liverpool bow but is expected to face Como on 16 August.
FPL: A precaution, not a setback, but Jacquet has now missed another friendly and remains short of match minutes with the opener two weeks away. His GW1 start is less certain than his depth ranking implies.
Iraola confirmed Mac Allister 'will link up with us on Monday' (10 August) following a three-week holiday after Argentina's run to the World Cup final. He will face fitness tests before joining full sessions and is expected to be involved against Como on 16 August.
FPL: He returns under two weeks before the Newcastle opener with zero pre-season behind him, so a bench or reduced-minutes role in GW1 is a live risk even though he is not injured.
Iraola said Jones had trained every day but 'finished with some issues in his hip' the day before, and it 'didn't make sense to risk' him. The manager added it 'doesn't look like anything big' and hopes Jones is available for Como on 16 August.
FPL: A precautionary absence rather than a real injury, and Jones is a rotation option anyway. No action needed unless he also misses the Como friendly.
The summer signing from Osasuna came on around the hour mark for his first Liverpool appearance, cutting short his post-World Cup holiday to be available. It was his first game time since May, having not played a minute in Spain's World Cup win.
FPL: Removes the 'no pre-season, not yet back' doubt on Munoz — he is fit and in the matchday squad. Still a squad option rather than a nailed starter, so treat as a watch rather than a GW1 buy.
In Iraola's first Anfield match on 9 Aug, Liverpool led 2-0 through Isak (16') and Wirtz (29') before losing 3-2. XI: Alisson, Van Dijk, Frimpong, Tsimikas, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Gakpo, Isak, Koumas, Ndukwe. Kerkez, Mamardashvili, Chiesa, Elliott and Ngumoha were among the subs.
FPL: Close to a first-choice shape two weeks from the Newcastle opener: Alisson, Van Dijk, Frimpong, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Gakpo and Isak all fit and starting. Isak and Wirtz scoring on their Anfield return is a green light for GW1 ownership.
At Yankee Stadium on 30 July, Iraola fielded a young side with Mamardashvili in goal, Chambers and Ndukwe at centre-back and Kerkez at left-back. Dominik Szoboszlai captained the side and was used at centre-back after Gomez's injury; Rio Ngumoha's deflected strike won it, and Iraola singled out Trey Nyoni for praise.
FPL: Szoboszlai being trusted at centre-back in an injury pinch is a mild red flag for his attacking-returns ceiling. Ngumoha and Nyoni are genuine cheap-enabler watch items, but neither is nailed yet.
Speaking after the Wrexham win on 30 July, Iraola confirmed the quartet who stayed in Chicago — Ryan Gravenberch, Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and new signing Jérémy Jacquet — will feature against Leeds United on 2 August, building minutes gradually. Jacquet has recovered from a shoulder problem.
FPL: First real look at Iraola's likely first-choice spine three weeks before the Newcastle opener. Isak and Wirtz starting together is the key signal for Liverpool's attacking template.
Iraola confirmed at his Chicago press conference on 30 July that Gomez, forced off after eight minutes of the 4-2 win over Sunderland, has a muscle injury: "he will be some weeks off... normally I always put myself as one month". He explicitly ruled him out of the 23 August opener at Newcastle, while stressing the injury is "not massive".
FPL: Avoid Gomez for the opening weeks. It also thins an already stretched centre-back group (Leoni, Jacquet), which raises minutes certainty for Van Dijk and Konaté's replacements.
Tracked daily from cited sources. News for every club is on team news.
Manager & style
Appointed 4 June 2026, replacing Arne Slot (departed 30 May 2026). A new manager means last season's roles, minutes and set-piece duties do not automatically carry over.
High-intensity, aggressive pressing coach — closer to Klopp's transition football than Slot's controlled possession. At Bournemouth his side had the league's lowest passes-per-defensive-action (9.68 PPDA, 3rd-lowest figure reported), made ~51.5 ball recoveries per game, pressed man-oriented from the front and used wide traps to squeeze opponents against the touchline. Roughly 50% possession — efficient rather than possession-dominant (13.8 shots, 4.7 on target, 1.67 xG per game). Build-up from a double pivot that can become a single pivot; deliberately unpredictable patterns rather than rigid automatisms. Known for being brave against elite possession teams. Rotation tendency unverified at Liverpool.
Usual shape: 4-2-3-1 primary; also 4-4-2 and 4-4-2 diamond variants (per Bournemouth record)
Summer transfers
In
| Player | Pos | From | Fee | Expected role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremy Jacquet | CB | Rennes | £55m rising to £60m (Wikipedia £55m/£60m; GiveMeSport and This Is Anfield report £60m) | Immediate first-choice centre-back alongside Virgil van Dijk; signed as long-term Van Dijk successor after Konate's exit |
| Victor Munoz | LW/CF | Osasuna | £34.5m (some outlets £35m) | Wide attacker; 31 starts, 6 goals, 2 assists for Osasuna in 2025/26. Candidate to fill part of the vacated Salah/wide-forward minutes |
| Ifeanyi Ndukwe | DF | Austria Wien | £2.6m | Squad/development defender |
Out
| Player | Pos | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mohamed Salah | RW | Unconfirmed — left as a free agent; reported to have narrowed choice to Saudi Pro League (Al-Ittihad / Al-Ahli / Neom) or MLS. No club announced as of 2026-07-30 | Free / released |
| Ibrahima Konate | CB | Real Madrid | Free |
| Andy Robertson | LB | Tottenham Hotspur | Free |
| Luca Stephenson | MF | Bolton Wanderers | £700,000 |
| Carter Pinnington | MF | West Bromwich Albion | Undisclosed |
| Tommy Pilling | MF | MFK Zemplin Michalovce | Undisclosed |
Current injuries
| Player | Issue | Expected return |
|---|---|---|
| Hugo Ekitike | Ruptured Achilles tendon (April 2026) | Months away — Iraola: 'still way off'. No date given |
| Conor Bradley | Significant knee injury, surgery (January 2026) | Months away — Iraola: 'still way off'. No date given |
| Giovanni Leoni | ACL tear (sustained early in 2025/26) | Closest of the long-term absentees to returning; no date given |
| Joe Gomez | Muscle injury, limped off in pre-season friendly v Sunderland (25 July 2026). Iraola called it the 'worst news' of the game | No date reported |
| Stefan Bajcetic | Returning from injury | Expected to train partially with the group during the US pre-season tour |
| Wataru Endo | Returning from injury | Expected to train partially with the group during the US pre-season tour |
Injury picture as of 30 July 2026 — availability moves fast in pre-season, so confirm against official team news.
Expected XI & selection battles
Formation: 4-2-3-1 (projection — Iraola has not yet fielded a full-strength XI; World Cup returnees only rejoined training in Chicago in the last week of July)
- GK Alisson Becker
- RB Jeremie Frimpong (Bradley and Gomez both injured)
- CB Jeremy Jacquet
- CB Virgil van Dijk
- LB Milos Kerkez
- CM Ryan Gravenberch
- CM Alexis Mac Allister
- RW unresolved — Victor Munoz / Federico Chiesa / Rio Ngumoha / Dominik Szoboszlai wide
- AM Florian Wirtz
- LW Cody Gakpo
- ST Alexander Isak
Battles to watch
- Right wing is genuinely open for the first time since 2017 with Salah gone — Munoz, Chiesa, Ngumoha and a wide Szoboszlai are all candidates; Liverpool were still reported to want another attacker
- Right-back: Frimpong by default with Bradley (knee) and Gomez (muscle) out
- Centre-back alongside Van Dijk: Jacquet is expected to be fast-tracked in after Konate's exit, but he is 20 and Gomez/Leoni are injured — depth is thin
- Goalkeeper: Alisson vs Giorgi Mamardashvili; Alisson's contract situation has been flagged as a question
- Midfield shape: Iraola's double pivot means one of Szoboszlai/Wirtz/Mac Allister/Gravenberch misses out
Set-piece takers
FPL winners & losers
Research calls from the sources below, not model output — the model's numbers for these players are on predicted points.
Key uncertainties
The honest list — what this guide could not pin down as of 30 July 2026. Any of these can change the FPL picture before Gameweek 1:
- Mohamed Salah's destination is NOT confirmed as of 30 July 2026 — he left as a free agent with reports split between Saudi Pro League clubs and MLS
- Liverpool are widely reported to still want another attacker and/or midfielder before the 1 September deadline — the GW1 front three is not settled
- Penalty order under Iraola is unconfirmed; the Szoboszlai/Gakpo/Mac Allister list is carried over from last season
- World Cup fitness: Isak, Wirtz and Gravenberch exited the 2026 World Cup and were training separately in Chicago in late July — none has played a pre-season minute yet
- Joe Gomez's muscle injury has no reported return date
- Alisson's contract situation has been flagged as a reason the No.1 shirt is not guaranteed long-term
- GW1 is away at Newcastle on Sunday 23 August — a hard opener for a rebuilt defence under a brand-new coach
Sources
- Liverpool 1-0 Wrexham: Iraola secures back-to-back wins (Sky Sports) — 2026-07-30
- All Completed Liverpool Transfers in 2026/27 (GiveMeSport) — 2026-07-24
- Liverpool's injury list, suspensions and availability (official) — 2026-07-22
- Manager line-up complete for 2026/27 season — 2026-07-13
- 2026-27 Liverpool F.C. season (Wikipedia) — 2026-07
- Liverpool 2026-27 squad (ESPN) — 2026-07
A point-in-time research snapshot compiled 30 July 2026, showing the six most recent of the sources the research drew on. It does not update in real time — line-ups, fitness and transfers can all move before the deadline, so always confirm against official team news. All 20 club guides are on team guides.
FPL is a free fantasy game — this is squad research, not betting advice.
Updated 13 August 2026, 07:21 UK · Source: Official FPL API