Aston Villa v Liverpool Liverpool head to Villa Park having not won their opening league fixture for five years.
With no injury problems, Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has plenty of selection dilemmas ahead of this match. He claimed on Thursday that big transfer fees do not guarantee a player his place in the side, but £20million signing Fernando Torres seems sure to make his league debut up front, probably partnered by the hard-working Dirk Kuyt. Yossi Benayoun's good pre-season form could see him claim the right-wing role ahead of Jermaine Pennant, while Steven Gerrard will start the season in his favoured central midfield role.
competitive debut
Villa manager Martin O'Neill's lack of goalkeeping options for the opening fixture of the campaign means academy prospect David Bevan will be on the bench. Stuart Taylor will be between the posts as last season's number one Thomas Sorensen is sidelined with a hamstring injury. England Under-21 skipper Nigel Reo-Coker is set to make his competitive debut following his £8.5million move from West Ham but the other summer capture from Upton Park, striker Marlon Harewood, is expected to be among the substitutes. John Carew should recover from a groin injury and is likely to partner Gabriel Agbonlahor in attack.
teams:
Aston Villa (from): Taylor, Bevan, Gardner, Cahill, Mellberg, Laursen, Bouma, Reo-Coker, Young, Petrov, Barry, Berger, Maloney, Osbourne, Carew, Agbonlahor, Moore, Harewood.
Liverpool (from): Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Riise, Benayoun, Gerrard, Alonso, Voronin, Torres, Kuyt, Itandje, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Pennant, Sissoko, Crouch, Kewell, Babel, Mascherano.