Kerkez and Araujo back, Nyoni rested: Liverpool predicted lineup vs Crystal Palace

Two defeats in a week have turned Sunday’s trip to Selhurst Park into a must-win for Andoni Iraola, and he looks set to go back to his strongest side after rotating in Istanbul.

Liverpool head to south London for a 2pm kick-off on Sunday 8 November, the last game before the November international break. They sit sixth on 15 points after nine games, while Crystal Palace are 18th with seven points and have conceded 21 league goals, the most in the division.

The 1-0 home defeat by Arsenal was followed by a 3-2 loss at Fenerbahce on Wednesday, when Liverpool twice led in Istanbul and still lost. Iraola made five changes that night, bringing in Kostas Tsimikas, Joe Gomez, Rio Ngumoha, Victor Munoz and Dominik Szoboszlai, so the regulars are fresh for this one.

Liverpool predicted lineup vs Crystal Palace

Liverpool predicted lineup vs Crystal Palace (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Barcola, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak

Alisson Becker: backed by his boss

Alisson’s slack pass led to Kai Havertz’s winner against Arsenal, and he was caught up in a mix-up with Cody Gakpo for Fenerbahce’s second. Iraola stood by him on Friday, saying the goals were “messy situations” and adding: “Ali is not the one more responsible for those goals.” He keeps his place.

Ronald Araujo: the right side needs him

Araujo was rested in Turkey and Liverpool missed him. Gomez did well enough, but the space behind the right-back was a problem again, and the on-loan Barcelona defender has been one of the most reliable players in the side this season. He comes straight back in.

Jeremy Jacquet and Virgil van Dijk: no change in the middle

Iraola kept his centre-back pair together in Istanbul, and we expect the same again. It was a tough night for both, with Romelu Lukaku and then Vedat Muriqi bullying the back line, but there’s no obvious alternative with Giovanni Leoni still working back from his knee injury.

Milos Kerkez: the Premier League regular returns

Tsimikas struggled against Mason Greenwood on Wednesday. Kerkez sat that one out and should be restored at left-back for a game that will be full of throw-ins, long balls and second balls in the box.

Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai: Nyoni gets a breather

This is the big call. Trey Nyoni made his first Premier League start against Arsenal and then scored his first Champions League goal in Istanbul, and the 19-year-old has earned his place. But Liverpool’s teenage scorer has started both games in a week, and Iraola has spoken about building up the endurance of his young players. We think Szoboszlai, who is coming back from a recent hamstring issue, starts beside Mac Allister, with Nyoni ready off the bench.

Ryan Gravenberch is the only doubt in the squad. Iraola said on Friday: “The Ryan Gravenberch thing is a day-to-day thing, it’s a matter of pain. Let’s see if he can deal with the pain and he can help us.” Given the heel fracture he has been carrying, we’d be surprised to see him start.

Bradley Barcola: back on the wing

The Barcola experiment as a No.9 didn’t work in Turkey, and Iraola was clear about where he sees the Frenchman: “He is a winger and he will be mostly, 90 per cent of the time, used as a winger.” We have him on the right, with licence to swap with Gakpo during the game.

Florian Wirtz: back behind the striker

Wirtz came off the bench in Istanbul and returns to the No.10 role. Palace like to crowd the middle with Adam Wharton, Daichi Kamada and Yeremy Pino, so Liverpool need his touch in tight spaces.

Cody Gakpo: the bigger goal threat

Ngumoha played well on Wednesday, but his workload has to be managed and Gakpo offers more goals from the left. Expect the Dutchman back in.

Alexander Isak: the closest thing to a guarantee

Isak came off the bench to score his seventh goal of the season in Istanbul. Iraola said of him on Friday: “Alex is a top goalscorer. If we can put him in the position to score, he will deliver. It’s not a guarantee but it’s the closest thing to a guarantee almost.”

Who misses out at Selhurst Park?

Gravenberch apart, Liverpool’s absentees are the same. Jeremie Frimpong has a muscle injury and was always unlikely to be back before the break, Conor Bradley is still recovering from his knee surgery, and Hugo Ekitike and Leoni are long-term absentees. No Liverpool players are suspended.

Palace are without Jean-Philippe Mateta, who is suspended after his red card against Tottenham, and Ismaila Sarr is injured too. Pierre Sage’s side also played on Thursday, drawing 1-1 with Hoffenheim with a stoppage-time equaliser despite having ten men.

Can Liverpool cope with the set pieces?

Iraola blamed set pieces for the Fenerbahce defeat, with goals conceded from a free-kick, a corner and a long throw. Selhurst Park won’t make that any easier. He warned: “It’s a pitch that is not the biggest pitch, so you feel quickly under pressure in terms of one throw-in, one long ball, straight away it goes into the boxes.”

Liverpool won ten of their 11 visits to Selhurst Park before the 2-1 defeat there in September 2025. Our view is that the regulars, back together and rested, should be enough to end the losing run before the break.

Liverpool predicted lineup vs Crystal Palace (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Barcola, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak