After coming so close in their bid for unprecedented quadruple glory last campaign, Liverpool will shake off their summer cobwebs on Saturday evening as they take on Manchester City in the Community Shield.
Having embarked on their first pre-season tour in three years earlier this month as they jetted off to the Far East for games against Manchester United and Crystal Palace, Jurgen Klopp has spent the last five days whipping his players into shape in the familiar surroundings of Austria, with the new season just around the corner.
It's a summer that, upon its conclusion, will have seen Liverpool receive the best of both worlds as they have been able to take advantage of the commercial opportunities that travelling to Bangkok and Singapore presents - having missed out on the opportunity to do so because of the long-lasting effects of the pandemic - while also having time to fine-tune their preparations during a low-key training camp in the state of Salzburg.
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And ahead of the domestic season's curtain-raiser this weekend, Klopp will have selection headaches aplenty as he looks to mark the new campaign with a first scalp over Pep Guardiola's men. However, the German did hint in the recent outing against Red Bull Salzburg how he could line up at the King Power in just over 24 hours' time, as Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, Roberto Firmino, Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah and Jordan Henderson were among those to begin on the bench and only took to the field for the final 30 minutes in the Red Bull Arena.
Yet, with Firmino looking increasingly likely to get the nod ahead of Darwin Nunez tomorrow evening, it's in midfield where Klopp will have the biggest selection headache as he weighs up whether to go with Naby Keita or Jordan Henderson alongside Fabinho and Thiago. The latter pair have cemented themselves as two stalwarts of the Reds' engine room in recent campaigns and it's no surprise given that they have tasted defeat just twice in their 30 outings together, one of which came in the Champions League round of 16 second leg dead-rubber to Inter Milan at Anfield in March.
Of course, it was only back in April that Keita, Fabinho and Thiago were handed their maiden start as a midfield trio when they were given the nod by Klopp for the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Benfica at the Estádio da Luz. It was a night that sparked plenty of discussion about the make-up of Liverpool's 'strongest' midfield as an exceptional performance saw Liverpool run out 3-1 victors and take a huge step towards the final four of Europe's premier competition.
Just days after that impressive showing in Portugal's capital, the trio had another opportunity to impress as they faced City in the FA Cup semi-final. Where, despite Guardiola's wholesale changes, the German manager watched on as his newly-formed triad blew their counterparts away - hitting three goals without reply in the first 45 minutes.
It was the silk of Thiago that captured the eye under the Wembley arch as Fernandino, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva struggled to get near the midfielder and subsequently spent the first half chasing the Spaniard's shadows. His highlight, and perhaps Liverpool's too, was the delicately-weighted pass he picked Sadio Mane out with to strike home the Reds' third goal just moments before the interval.
It followed a brilliant passage of play for Liverpool and Thiago too, as he expertly exchanged a crisp one-two with Trent Alexander-Arnold, while surrounded by three sky blue shirts, before picking out the Senegal international.
That was just one of 46 successful passes the Spaniard completed that afternoon as he boasted a 90 per cent pass completion rate (46/51), which was complemented by his impressive work in the attacking third as he achieved 100 per cent of his attempted dribbles. As the season entered its latter stages the influence of Liverpool's Spanish star increased exponentially, and it was no surprise that their title bid was revived following his return from injury in early February as he guided the Reds to 12 wins from his final 14 Premier League outings of the season.
But his excellence was accompanied by the ever-impressive Fabinho at the base of proceedings as marshalled the hallowed Wembley turf keeping Jack Grealish, Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling at bay. The Brazilian chalked up six ball recoveries during the 90 minutes and an 84 per cent pass completion as his dependable presence allowed both Keita and Thiago to thrive in more advanced roles.
For Keita, that afternoon marked just his second start alongside the duo and perhaps one of his finest displays of the 63-game season as his dynamism, tenacity and work rate off the ball was key in the Reds booking their place in a first FA Cup final since 2012.
He's a player that has divided opinion during his time at Anfield thus far as he's failed to live up to the hype or the then-club record fee Liverpool paid to secure his services during the summer of 2017. There have been flashes of brilliance during that time, with dominating displays and glimpses of superstar quality, especially during his first few months on Merseyside, but injuries and poor form have largely shadowed his four campaigns at the club.
However, with just one year left on his contract, it feels like this year more than ever is the time for Liverpool's No.8 to step up to the plate and deliver the eye-catching performances supporters became so accustomed to watching from afar during his time in the Bundesliga. Too, with the club's pursuit of a new midfielder appearing to be on hold until next summer, and with Henderson turning 32 during the off-season, the opportunities will be there for Keita this campaign. Potentially starting on Saturday evening at the King Power.
Klopp has already seen first-hand what the trio of Fabinho, Thiago and Keita can do against the Premier League champions and as he spends the final hours mulling over his team selection ahead of Saturday's game, it may just be enough for former RB Leipzig man to be given the nod ahead of Henderson.
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