Liverpool vs Ipswich - The Big Match Preview

Liverpool’s stuttering, but still unbeaten, start to the 2026/27 rolls on with a visit to returning Ipswich Town - hoping that an away day at last season’s Championship runners-up will lead to the first three points of the campaign.

Match Context

Already three games into their own season, including an impressive performance against Leicester City in the League Cup, the Tractor Boys have begun well, with a win against last year's surprise outfit Sunderland, and a spirited loss away to a seemingly resurgent Manchester United.

So despite being seen as early contenders as ‘relegation fodder’, Ipswich are already proving something of a difficult challenge - at least at this early stage of the season - and it would be a mistake to see the result as a foregone conclusion before a ball is kicked. 

Indeed, given Liverpool’s lack of attacking imagination displayed in the first two games, Ipswich will be looking at a major scalp, should the result go their way.

Team News

Ipswich will be without winger Jaden Philogene, as the 24-year-old former Aston Villa wide man continues to struggle with a knee injury. He is joined by defensive midfielders Floretineo and Azor Matusiwa (calf and hamstring, respectively), as well as Jack Taylor, who is set to miss a decent chunk of the season, as he requires surgery on his knee. 

Meanwhile, Zian Flemming - a deadline day arrival from Burnley - will be looking to start up front for the Tractor Boys on Friday. 

As for the Reds, Hugo Ekitike remains a distance away from his return to first team action, as he recovers from a ruptured Achilles, and is most likely to remain sidelined until January next year. 

Another long-term absence is Conor Bradley, who is still recovering from a knee injury suffered against Arsenal in January, subsequently required surgery, and is also likely to be out until the new year. 

On a more positive note, Giovanni Leoni is back in training and is likely to be fully fit by the end of this month. 

The trio are joined by Federico Chiesa and Joe Gomez, who were both injured in preseason, but both players should be available by the middle of September, should they be called upon. 

The elephant in the room is whether or not Bradley Barcola will play, whilst the Frenchman is fit - and, importantly, was registered before the Premier League’s Thursday cutoff - his last competitive game was over a month ago, so ultimately it looks more likely that he'll start from the bench.

Key Players to Watch

Ultimately, however, the Reds will go into Friday night’s match with a new sense of optimism, given the arrival of Bradley Barcola on Merseyside. 

The Frenchman, who will cost the Reds close to £123 million - should certain targets be reached - is the kind of dynamic, forward-facing winger Liverpool have arguably been missing since Luis Diaz left for Bayern Munich a year or so ago. 

However, his protracted transfer from Paris Saint-Germain has left gaping holes in other areas of the pitch - especially in defence - and his arrival should not be seen as the great ‘fix’ for what the club needs. 

However this season was always going to be about transition, and while many fans may be slightly disappointed with the work (or lack thereof) in the window this Summer - the board, and the departing Richard Hughes, have always been open that this Summer was about getting a winger to replace the departed Mo Salah, so Barcola’s arrival in that regard means that this window is a success - even if only at boardroom level.

Predicted XI 

Ipswich:  Scherpen, O'Shea, Graves, Diop, Furlong, Nunez, McAteer, Clarke, Enciso, Fatawu, Akpom.

Liverpool: Alisson, Kerkez, Van Dijk, Jaquet, Frimpong, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Ngomahou, Wirtz, Gakpo, Isak.