Premier League 2015-16 preview: How Liverpool could line up this season

The Premier League season kicks off on Saturday and to prepare you for top-flight football’s triumphant return, we look at how each of the potential title-challengers might line up this season.

Rounding up the major ins and outs, we look at how each team’s formation might have been altered by the events of the summer, and which players can expect to play a starring role as others fade into the background.

[TITLE CONTENDERS: The title contenders: How Arsenal will line up this season]

[TITLE CONTENDERS: The title contenders: How Chelsea will line up this season]

We continue with Liverpool…

Liverpool emerged from pre-season undefeated having won five and drawn one. However, the benefit of a gruelling 30,000-mile trip that took in Bangkok, Brisbane, Adelaide, Kuala Lumpur and Helsinki before finishing in Swindon on Sunday remains open to debate. Should they make a laboured start to the season then questions will only intensify over the merits of said trip. A fixture list containing Thai All Stars, Brisbane Roar, Adelaide United, Malaysia XI, HJK and Swindon was hardly taxing but, facts are facts though, an unbeaten pre-season – regardless of the quality of the opponent - is not to be sniffed at.

PLAYERS IN: Christian Benteke (Aston Villa, £32.5m), Roberto Firmino (TSG Hoffenheim, £28.7m), Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton FC, £12.4m), Joe Gomez (Charlton, £3.4m), Allan (Internacional, £497k), Danny Ings (Burnley FC, Free transfer), Adam Bogdan (Bolton Wanderers, free transfer), James Milner (Manchester City, free transfer).

PLAYERS OUT: Raheem Sterling (Manchester City, £43.75m), Iago Aspas (Sevilla FC, £4.2m,)Rickie Lambert (West Brom, £2.9m), Sebastian Coates (AFC Sunderland, £1.9m), Andre Wisdom (Norwich City, loan).

Brendan Rodgers is somewhat of a tactical chameleon, so to second guess the Liverpool manager is a touch imprudent. However, what can be said with a degree of certainty is that if fit Daniel Sturridge will start. His understudies last season – Rickie Lambert, Fabio Borini, Mario Balotelli et al – majorly underperformed in his absence; hence the arrival of Christian Benteke.

With Sturridge set to miss the start of the season through injury, Benteke can expect to lead the line in the 4-2-3-1 that Liverpool finished last season with. However, when Sturridge returns to fitness, Rodgers will surely be tempted to return to the diamond formation that nearly snaffled the title towards the end of the 2013-14 season.

Despite Raheem Sterling’s exit from the club, Liverpool remain well stocked with midfield creators/wide forwards as Roberto Firmino, Danny Ings and the returning Divock Origi look more than capable of filling the creative deficit left by Sterling.

It is at the base of midfield where Rodgers could be about to make the most transformative change. The introduction of James Milner in the holding slot next to Jordan Henderson will provide a dynamism that Liverpool sorely lacked when club legend Steven Gerrard was stationed there last season.

With Sturridge set to miss the start of the season, the Reds will likely line up in a 4-2-3-1.

The back five more or less picks itself with Nathaniel Clyne joining Mamadou Sakho, Martin Skrtel and Alberto Moreno ahead of Simon Mignolet. The industrious Milner will dovetail with Jordan Henderson at the base of the midfield with Benteke certain to lead the attack.

Rodgers has a slight selection dilemma regarding his creative three behind the Belgian. Firmino, having been acquired at such cost, will surely start while player of the year Coutinho is assured of his position. That leaves Adam Lallana, Danny Ings, Divock Origi and Jordon Ibe to battle it out for the final spot in the team. Lallana is likely to start the season given his consistency last season.

However, once Sturridge returns the bench beckons for Lallana as Rodgers switches to a 4-3-1-2. Expect Coutinho to drop deeper to accommodate Sturridge's return.