Liverpool vs Sunderland Lineups: Iraola Names His First XI

Andoni Iraola named his first Liverpool starting XI on Saturday, 25 July 2026, for the pre-season friendly against Sunderland at GEODIS Park in Nashville, Tennessee, with Joe Gomez captaining a young side that blends senior experience with several of the club's emerging talents.

Liverpool's Confirmed Starting XI

Liverpool's confirmed lineup reads: Mamardashvili, Frimpong, Gomez (C), N'Diaye, Tsimikas, Jones, McConnell, Morrison, Elliott, Ngumoha, Wright.

Gomez's captaincy is the clearest selection statement. The England centre-back, who spent the second half of last season recovering from a knee issue, leads a defensive unit alongside summer signing Mor Talla N'Diaye, one of two centre-backs available to Iraola on the night given the absentees elsewhere.

Giorgi Mamardashvili starts in goal. Kostas Tsimikas is at left-back. Jeremie Frimpong takes the right-back role. James McConnell and Curtis Jones sit as the double pivot.

In attack, Harvey Elliott operates at No. 10 behind striker Will Wright. Kieran Morrison starts on the right flank, with Rio Ngumoha on the left.

Liverpool Substitutes

The confirmed matchday squad lists the substitutes as: Woodman, Davies, Kerkez, Szoboszlai, Chiesa, Abe, Nyoni, Chambers, Ramsay, Scanlon, Koumas, Sonni-Lambie, Ndukwe.

Milos Kerkez, Federico Chiesa, and Dominik Szoboszlai are among the options Iraola can introduce from the bench. None of the three started, indicating the head coach considers them short of full match readiness at this stage of pre-season.

Sunderland's Starting XI

Sunderland's XI, ahead of kickoff, is: Ellborg, Mukiele, Ballard, O'Nien (C), Reinildo, Browne, Le Fée, Rigg, Hume, Mundle, Isidor.

Luke O'Nien captains Régis Le Bris's side. The Black Cats finished seventh in their first Premier League season following promotion from the Championship, a result that secured European football through the UEFA Europa League for the 2026-27 campaign.

What This Selection Tells You About Iraola's Available Squad

The XI is shaped by who is missing. Eight Liverpool players went to the 2026 World Cup, Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch, Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Alexis Mac Allister, and Wataru Endo, and none are in the squad in Nashville. Iraola confirmed he is giving all eight a three-week post-tournament break, with Van Dijk, Gravenberch, Gakpo, Wirtz, and Isak due back around 21-22 July and returning initially to the AXA Training Centre in Liverpool rather than joining the US tour. Mac Allister, whose Argentina went deep into the tournament, is not expected until around 9-10 August.

Mohamed Salah departed at the end of last season. Hugo Ekitike (Achilles), Conor Bradley (knee), and Giovanni Leoni (ACL) remain sidelined. Iraola has confirmed that none of the three are close to a return. Wataru Endo and Stefan Bajcetic are with the squad in the United States in partial training.

That picture explains N'Diaye starting at centre-back alongside Gomez, Kieran Morrison filling the right flank in the absence of senior options there, and Will Wright leading the line. This is not a window into Iraola's settled order, it is the group that is available to him right now, and the group he will spend the next three weeks getting to know on the pitch before the senior internationals filter back.

Liverpool vs Sunderland: How to Watch

United States: The match is broadcast on ESPN Deportes and available to stream via ESPN Unlimited, according to ESPN's official Summer Soccer Series press release. Kickoff is at 6:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. CT.

United Kingdom: The match is not available on standard TV in the UK. Liverpool's official site states that All Red Full and Video members can stream the game live at 11:00 p.m. BST.

Doors at GEODIS Park opened at 3:30 p.m. local time, with the event starting at 5:00 p.m. CT, according to the venue's event page.

Sunderland in America: The Europa League Context

Sunderland's pre-season itinerary, confirmed through Sunderland's official 2026-27 pre-season schedule released on 8 June, lists the Nashville match as a centrepiece of their summer preparations. For Régis Le Bris's squad, the significance is straightforward: Sunderland have not played European football since 1973-74, a gap of 52 years, and the depth and quality demands of a Europa League campaign are a step change from anything the current group has experienced.

Facing a Premier League side in a controlled pre-season environment gives Le Bris direct evidence of where his squad stands physically and tactically before a group stage draw that will pit them against continental opposition in September.