Crystal Palace and Liverpool will go head-to-head at Wembley Stadium in the Community Shield on Sunday afternoon, with both teams looking to claim the first bit of silverware of the season.
Oliver Glasner’s side won the first major trophy in the club’s history by beating Manchester City to win the FA Cup last season and have so far been able to keep their squad together while adding two new players, while Arne Slot has made big changes to his Premier League-winning side.
Both teams will be keen to start the new campaign in the same way they finished the last one, and this is how GIVEMESPORT expect the teams to line up for the game.
Crystal Palace Team News
The Eagles have had a fairly quiet summer transfer window so far, with Borna Sosa and Walter Benitez the only arrivals, but the big news is that none of their top players have left ahead of this game.
Glasner will, however, be without Eddie Nketiah, Cheick Doucoure, Matheus Franca and Caleb Kporha for the clash due to injury. But the boss has confirmed Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi will both start, with Guehi wearing the captain’s armband too, despite speculation over their future.
|
Crystal Palace Injuries and Suspensions |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Player |
Injury |
Potential Return Date |
|
Matheus Franca |
Knock |
Unknown |
|
Caleb Kporha |
Back |
Unknown |
|
Eddie Nketiah |
Hamstring |
01/11/2025 |
|
Cheick Doucoure |
Knee |
Unknown |
Glasner Drops Team News Update
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Glasner shared an update on his squad ahead of the game.
“It is no secret Eddie Nketiah missed more or less the whole pre-season, because on the second day at the start of pre-season, he had a small injury, and now he has a more serious injury and will be out for what looks like eight weeks.
“Then, without any pre-season, I think it will take him three or four more weeks to be ready.
“Caleb Kporha has problems with his back and is not able to train and has been out the whole pre-season – we don’t know when he will return.
“Matheus França is unfortunately injured again, so he’s out. He missed the whole pre-season.
“Cheick [Doucoure] had a setback – we don’t know when he will return. He’s still not able to train, his knee’s reacting, so especially for him – he’s such a lovely guy – it’s tough, where he’s not in the training and playing rhythm, coming in every single day and working the gym, working rehab, and then you get a bad reaction in your knee again.
“He gets all our support – but he won’t be back for the next couple of months.
“He [Eze] will play on Sunday, definitely. Marc [Guehi] as well – Marc will captain the team.”
Crystal Palace Predicted XI
- Crystal Palace Predicted XI: Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Wharton, Lerma, Mitchell; Eze, Mateta, Sarr.
- Crystal Palace Predicted Substitutes: Benitez (GK), Clyne (DEF), Sosa (DEF), Riad (DEF), Kamada (MID), Hughes (MID), Devenny (MID), Esse (FWD), Edouard (FWD).
With a limited squad to choose from Glasner is likely to recall £90,000-a-week forward Odsonne Edouard to the bench alongside £150,000-a-week star Daichi Kamada, while all of Guehi, Eze, Wharton and Mateta should start.
Liverpool Team News
The Reds come into this game after a busy summer which has seen them add Giorgi Mamardashvili, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike to the squad in a window of change, while Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jarell Quansah have left, while the club have also had to deal with the tragic passing of forward Diogo Jota.
Slot has now revealed that the team will also be able to welcome back Virgil Van Dijk and Alisson Becker after recent issues saw them miss pre-season games, but Joe Gomez will be absent with a minor injury and Conor Bradley is a doubt. Ryan Gravenberch is available, with his suspension to be served in the opening game of the Premier League season.
|
Liverpool Injuries and Suspensions |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Player |
Injury |
Potential Return Date |
|
Joe Gomez |
Knock |
15/08/2025 |
|
Conor Bradley |
Knock |
10/08/2025 |
|
Darwin Nunez |
Transfer |
Unknown |
Slot Drops Team News Update
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Slot shared an update on his squad ahead of the game.
“[Mac Allister] will be in the squad. He was out for two months I think, or longer because we didn’t play him in the last four games of the season. He trained with us since a week now, played 30 minutes, 45 minutes.
“So that’s not a situation where you would start a player [and] play him for 90 minutes. Starting is possible but definitely not for 90 minutes.
“Unfortunately [Gomez] has a minor injury at the moment but he will be back with the team very soon.”
Liverpool Predicted XI
- Liverpool Predicted XI: Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike.
- Liverpool Predicted Substitutes: Mamardashvili (GK), Robertson (DEF), Tsimikas (DEF), Szoboszlai (MID), Endo (MID), Jones (MID), Elliott (FWD), Ngumoha (FWD), Doak (FWD).
With a new-look squad now Slot is likely to make some big decisions with his team, which could see £280,000-a-week duo Andy Robertson and Dominick Szoboszlai benched alongside teenage sensation Rio Ngumoha.
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