Mohamed Salah leads the way, Cody Gakpo and Andy Robertson miss out – Fans vote on Liverpool’s starting XI for Community Shield

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The new season gets underway in style with Premier League champions Liverpool facing FA Cup winners Crystal Palace in the curtain raiser at Wembley for the Community Shield. You can follow all the action live on TNT Sports and discovery+. We decided to give supporters the chance to select who should be in the starting XI for Arne Slot's side against the Eagles. Here are the results of the vote.

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The 2025/26 football season begins with a cracking match between Premier League champions Liverpool facing FA Cup winners Crystal Palace at Wembley for the Community Shield.

You can watch all the action live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

It will be the first time that many Liverpool fans get to see new signings in the famous red shirt with Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike likely to be involved.

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The Reds have impressed during their pre-season fixtures and many are predicting them to win the Premier League for the second season in a row.

Ahead of their match at Wembley, TNT Sports decided to give the fans a chance to pick who Liverpool boss Arne Slot should include in his starting XI against the Eagles.

Have new signings Wirtz and Frimpong earned a place in the team? Did Liverpool's new teenage sensation Rio Ngumoha make the cut? Check out the results below.

It might come as no surprise that Liverpool stalwarts Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk earned the most votes to start with 97% of supporters picking them in the starting line-up.

Both players were essential to the Reds lifting the Premier League crown during Slot's debut campaign at Anfield with the duo also signing new contracts to remain at the club.

Supporters who voted would have spotted that Darwin Nunez was left off the list with the forward set for a medical ahead of a move to Al Hilal for a fee worth an initial €53 million.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's match, Slot discussed the player's future and said: "At this moment in time, Darwin might leave but things are not signed yet, so we need to wait a few days until that maybe is completely done but there is a chance he could leave."

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New signing Frimpong earned 81% of the vote to start at right-back ahead of Conor Bradley while fellow new recruit Milos Kerkez claimed 63% of the vote on the other side, which means there is no place for veteran defender Andy Robertson.

Slot also pointed that the Reds plan to use Frimpong as an option further forward when Salah is away with Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations later this year.

He explained: "We have thought about the fact we are going to miss Mo, I think as a maximum for six games, but that is quite a lot in the Premier League - especially when you see how well he did last season.

"Signing Jeremie Frimpong was for multiple reasons but one of them was that he could replace Mo if he was not there. There are other options to replace Mo with as well but Jeremie is definitely one of them."

Another new signing Wirtz was selected by the fans ahead of Cody Gapko and youngster Ngumoha who both impressed with their performances so far during pre-season.

Slot appears to have a similar view to the supporters when it comes to protecting the young players and allowing them the time to develop.

"We want to develop them the best way we can but we also have to take care of them," he told his press conference.

"We are aware of that but it has been a promising for him like for Trey [Nyoni]as well."

Ekitike was also added to the starting XI by Liverpool supporters with a vote of 97%, with Reds fans eager to see him in action since his move from Eintracht Frankfurt this summer.