In order to play Chelsea in the Premier League this Sunday, Liverpool needs to quickly sign Moises Caicedo.

In a stunning gazumping of their opening weekend opponents, the Reds have reportedly agreed to pay Brighton £111 million for the Ecuadorian midfielder.

However, the Caicedo transfer must be completed by Friday at noon so that he can be officially registered to play at Stamford Bridge.

That means that even if the deal is finalised, Jurgen Klopp probably won’t be able to start his new player right away.

With defensive midfielders Stefan Bajcetic (the team’s anchor) and Thiago Alcantara (who missed the end of the 2022-23 season due to injury), Liverpool will be shorthanded for Sunday’s matchup.

Klopp’s offensive 4-2-3-1 in preseason, featuring newcomers Alexis MacAllister and Dominik Szoboslzai, would be risky against Chelsea.

Both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones have been given opportunities to start in the middle of the pitch for England this preseason.

This is the expected Liverpool starting lineup: Jones, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Salah, Jota, and Diaz; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, and Robertson; and Alisson.

Thiago and Bajcetic are both injured.

There are no reservations.