Liverpool could be without four players for Premier League opener against Bournemouth

Liverpool fans have been waiting for this moment for months. The long summer break filled with endless rumours, heated debates, transfer sagas, and friendly games that never quite match the real thing is finally over. The Premier League is back. The excitement is in the air. The heartbeat of Anfield is ready to roar again. And Liverpool will be the ones to light up the stage on opening night when they face Bournemouth at Anfield under the Friday evening lights. It is the moment where every Liverpool supporter wants to see their team send a clear message to the rest of the league — that last season’s title win was not a one-off miracle, but the beginning of something even greater. But as the countdown to kick-off ticks away, there is already tension in the air. Four players could be missing for this crucial first game, and head coach Arne Slot is anxiously waiting for final updates on their fitness. It’s not the kind of start he wanted, especially after a summer where he has worked tirelessly to reshape his squad into something sharper, faster, and hungrier.

This summer has been anything but quiet at Anfield. Liverpool have been the centre of football headlines almost every day. Transfer stories have flown in from all corners of the world. Big names linked, big names leaving, big names arriving. Arne Slot’s first summer in charge was never going to be a slow one. The Dutchman inherited a title-winning team but one that still had room for renewal. He wanted to build a squad not just to defend the Premier League crown, but to dominate English and European football for years to come. And Liverpool backed him. Backed him in a way that sent shockwaves through the football world. Nearly £300 million has been spent on fresh faces. Nearly £200 million worth of talent has been sold. It has been a whirlwind of deals, negotiations, and bold decisions. The crown jewel of the summer? Florian Wirtz. Liverpool’s record signing at £116 million. A young German playmaker with vision, creativity, and a football brain far beyond his age. He was the signing that made headlines from London to Lagos, from New York to New Delhi. The kind of transfer that tells everyone watching — Liverpool mean business. Wirtz was not bought to sit on the bench. He was bought to change games. He was bought to wear the shirt and carry the weight of expectation like a natural leader, even if he is still so young. He already made his competitive debut in the Community Shield clash against Crystal Palace, a match where Liverpool’s new boys were on full display. Jeremie Frimpong brought energy and pace down the right. Milos Kerkez showed promise on the left. Hugo Ekitike led the line with strength and determination. The future looked bright, but football is never just about the bright lights. It’s also about the shadows. And for Arne Slot, the shadows have come early.

Because while Liverpool fans were looking forward to a full-strength team on Friday night, reality is beginning to bite. One name is already confirmed as missing: Ryan Gravenberch. The Dutch midfielder will play no part after picking up a red card in the final league game of last season against Crystal Palace. It was a moment of frustration then, and it is proving costly now. Suspensions don’t care about fresh starts. They carry over. So Gravenberch will watch from the stands. He will be frustrated. The fans will be frustrated. And Arne Slot will have to adjust his plans without him. But he is not the only concern.

Joe Gomez, Liverpool’s versatile defender, has not played a single competitive minute since returning early from the club’s Far East pre-season tour. His Achilles injury has been a stubborn problem, refusing to heal as quickly as hoped. This setback comes after a long spell out last season due to a hamstring injury he picked up away at West Ham United in December. He recovered from that, only to aggravate it again. It’s been a cruel cycle for Gomez, a player who has already been through more injury challenges than most players his age. Yet, there was a glimmer of hope this week. On Wednesday, cameras spotted Gomez back on the pitch at the AXA Training Centre. Not running alone. Not doing light drills. But training with the rest of the squad. It doesn’t guarantee he will be ready for Friday night, but it gives Slot and the fans a reason to dream. A fit Gomez is a huge boost to Liverpool’s defensive options. An unfit Gomez leaves them short, especially with the fixture list about to get intense.

Then there is Conor Bradley. The young right-back has been one of the bright stories at Liverpool in recent seasons. His rise from the academy to the first team has been rapid, and his energy on the pitch is infectious. But football has no sympathy for fairy tales when injuries come knocking. Bradley missed the pre-season friendly double-header against Athletic Bilbao and the Community Shield loss to Crystal Palace due to a minor injury. Minor or not, the timing is terrible. He is now racing against the clock to prove his fitness before Friday. The medical team is working with him. Slot is watching closely. But as every coach knows, rushing a player back too soon can be a dangerous gamble.

These fitness worries are not ideal. Not when Liverpool are about to face a Bournemouth side who will arrive at Anfield with nothing to lose and everything to prove. Opening games have a strange energy. Sometimes the underdog rises. Sometimes the favourite stumbles. Liverpool will want no part of a stumble. They are defending champions. Every opponent this season will treat facing them as a cup final. Every game will be a test of character, focus, and desire. And Slot knows it. The Dutchman has already shown in his first weeks that he is not afraid to make big calls. He has been bold in the transfer market. He has been honest with the press. And he has been clear that this Liverpool team will play fast, attacking football. But football is also about adaptability. Plans change. Injuries happen. And Friday night could be his first test of just how quickly he can adapt when the perfect plan becomes less than perfect.

Inside the Liverpool dressing room, the mood is still high. The players believe in Slot. They believe in each other. Pre-season had its ups and downs, but the overall feeling is that this is a squad with depth, quality, and ambition. Wirtz has settled quickly. Frimpong is already becoming a fan favourite. Kerkez looks hungry. Ekitike looks eager to prove himself on the Premier League stage. Veterans like Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Alisson Becker are still here, ready to lead the charge. But they all know the Premier League has no easy games. Bournemouth may not be title contenders, but they are dangerous. Last season, they shocked more than one big team. They have speed on the counter. They have physicality in midfield. And they will not fear Anfield on opening night — at least not until the roar of the Kop reminds them where they are.

For the fans, the build-up to Friday night is full of mixed emotions. Excitement to see the new players in competitive action. Curiosity about how Slot’s Liverpool will look in a real league match. And nervousness about the missing names on the team sheet. Football supporters live for these moments — the sense that anything can happen, that the story of the season is about to be written, that heroes and villains will emerge under the floodlights. This is the magic of opening day. It is why people in Liverpool, across England, and around the world will tune in.

And for Arne Slot, it is more than just three points. It is about making a statement. Winning the first game does not guarantee a title. But losing it can plant seeds of doubt. He will want his team sharp, focused, and ruthless. Even if he has to do it without Gravenberch, without Gomez, without Bradley, and maybe without one more name yet to be revealed. Football seasons are long. Injuries and suspensions are part of the game. The key is how a team responds. Liverpool have the squad to respond. They have the fans to inspire them. And they have a manager who knows that defending a title is harder than winning it. Every game is a battle. The war begins Friday night. And the world will be watching.