Arsenal vs Liverpool team news: New signings forced to wait as Mikel Arteta fields weakened side against full-strength Reds
Jurgen Klopp selects the strongest starting line-up available as counterpart Arteta fields a number of players who may not be with Arsenal come the start of the Premier League season
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Your support makes all the difference.Arsenal new boys Willian and William Saliba will have to wait for their club debuts after manager Mikel Arteta left them out of his starting line-up for the Community Shield clash against Liverpool.
Centre-back Saliba, who was signed last summer but remained with St Etienne on loan for the duration of 2019/20, was at least included among the substitutes for the Wembley curtain-raiser, though Willian missed out on the matchday squad entirely.
Liverpool meanwhile were forced to go into the clash without England defender Trent-Alexander-Arnold as Jurgen Klopp elected not to risk the 21-year-old, who missed the recent pre-season trip to Austria with a minor injury.
Despite having goalkeeper Bernd Leno fit and available again following a nasty knee injury, Arteta elected to stick with Emiliano Martinez in goal, even though he is facing an uncertain future at the club. The Independent revealed earlier in the day that Aston Villa are ready to submit a £10m offer for the Argentine, who is keen on leaving Arsenal to earn himself first-team football and secure the No 1 spot with his national team.
Another player who could be heading for the exit in defender Rob Holding was named alongside David Luiz at the back, despite links emerging over an imminent loan switch to Newcastle United, while a rather unusual midfield trio of Granit Xhaka, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Mohamed Elneny line up behind Bukayo Saka, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyanf and Eddie Nketiah.
In contrast, Klopp has elected to deploy what is close to his strongest first team available, with only Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson absent from his regular first-choice XI that cruised to the Premier League title last season.
Summer signing Konstantinos Tsimakis is included among the substitutes, alongside the likes of Naby Keita, Takumi Minamino and young forward Rhian Brewster.
Teams
Arsenal: Martinez; Bellerin, Holding, Luiz, Tierney; Elneny, Xhaka, Maitland-Niles; Saka, Aubameyang, Nketiah
Liverpool: Alisson; Williams, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Milner, Wijnaldum; Mane, Firmino, Salah.
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