Both Newcastle United and Liverpool will be missing several players when the Premier League campaign kicks off on Sunday afternoon.
The Magpies make the journey to Anfield for their opening fixture, which will also mark the competitive debut of both clubs’ new managers. Jaissle takes charge of Newcastle for the first time in a competitive match, while Iraola begins his tenure at Liverpool. The pair are among ten managers beginning the season in new positions.
The Reds are still uncertain about their available squad for this first competitive encounter under their new head coach.
Four senior players are definitely unavailable as they continue their recovery programmes, with three expected to be sidelined for extended periods.
Striker Hugo Ekitike is unlikely to feature before the end of the year after sustaining a serious Achilles injury in April, while full-back Conor Bradley remains absent following significant knee surgery after being injured at Arsenal in January.
Defender Giovanni Leoni is edging towards a return to full training after missing action since September with a cruciate ligament problem. Fellow defender Joe Gomez suffered a muscle injury during the first pre-season friendly against Sunderland, which has kept him out of subsequent selection.
Winger Victor Munoz chose to join Liverpool instead of Newcastle and has recovered from the injury that forced his early exit from the World Cup, though he may be unavailable due to insufficient pre-season match practice.
Several other Liverpool players remain uncertain selections. Midfielder Curtis Jones, who has drawn transfer interest from Inter Milan, has missed the past two matches with a hip complaint. Former Newcastle goalkeeper Freddie Woodman sat out both recent friendlies against Como after managing an injury throughout pre-season preparations.
Young forward Jayden Danns and midfielder Stefan Bajcetic are both unavailable as they recover from muscle injuries.
Newcastle, who have seen numerous experienced players depart this summer, also face their own fitness issues.
Midfielder Joelinton is expected to be unavailable for several weeks, while defender Tino Livramento has only just returned to training and is not yet considered match-ready. Fabian Schar, Dan Burn and Lewis Miley have had minimal pre-season involvement but are anticipated to be included in Jaissle’s first matchday selection.