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Joel Matip, Joe Gomez 'to be handed chance to stake claim in Liverpool team'

Matip, Gomez 'to be handed first-team chance'
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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will reportedly hand Joel Matip and Joe Gomez the chance to stake a claim for a regular starting role in the absence of Dejan Lovren.

Liverpool defenders Joel Matip and Joe Gomez will reportedly be handed a chance to stake a claim for a place in the first team during the opening weeks of the new season.

Jurgen Klopp settled on Virgil van Dijk and Dejan Lovren as his first-choice centre-back pairing towards the end of last season, but the latter is likely to miss the opening weeks of the new campaign following his World Cup exploits.

Lovren is expected to return to Melwood on August 5 after helping Croatia to the final of the World Cup, giving him just a week before Liverpool get their Premier League campaign underway at home to West Ham United.

The Liverpool Echo reports that Matip, who missed the end of last term through injury, and Gomez, who spent much of the campaign at right-back before losing his place in the side to Trent Alexander-Arnold, will be given chances in pre-season to prove that they should be first-team regulars.

Van Dijk remains Liverpool's number-one centre-back, but Klopp is open to a new partner beside him if he is impressed by either contender during pre-season.

Ragnar Klavan is once again expected to be limited to a back-up role for the 2018-19 campaign following Matip's recent return to action.

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Roberto Firmino celebrates scoring the fourth during the Premier League game between Bournemouth and Liverpool on December 17, 2017
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2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Fulham125341717018
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle125341313018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd124441313016
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham124351519-415
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Ipswich TownIpswich121651323-109
19Crystal Palace121561017-78
20Southampton121110924-154


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