Keeper Christian Walton makes his first start in more than a year as the Blues host Liverpool in their opening Premier League game of the season at Portman Road with new signing Aro Muric absent having picked up a knock (KO 12.30pm, TNT Sports).

Town are without their first-choice keeper on the opening day for the second year running, Walton having suffered a knock last summer.

The former Brighton man comes into the league XI for the first time since the 2-2 draw at Fleetwood on the final day of 2022/23 in League One. Cieran Slicker is on the bench.

Otherwise, the team is fairly predictable with Axel Tuanzebe on the right of the defence, Leif Davis on the left and new signing Jacob Greaves partnering Luke Woolfenden.

In midfield, skipper Sam Morsy starts alongside Massimo Luongo with the three ahead of them, from the right, Wes Burns, Conor Chaplin and Omari Hutchinson. Liam Delap is up front.

New signings Kalvin Phillips, Sammie Szmodics, Ben Johnson and Conor Townsend are all on the bench, along with Ali Al-Hamadi, Marcus Harness, Jack Taylor and Cameron Burgess.

For Liverpool, with manager Arne Slot taking charge for the first time, Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all among the starters but Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo are on the bench.

Town: Walton, Tuanzebe, Woolfenden, Greaves, Davis, Morsy (c), Luongo, Burns, Chaplin, Hutchinson, Delap. Subs: Slicker, Burgess, Townsend, Johnson, Phillips, Taylor, Szmodics, Harness, Al-Hamadi.

Liverpool: Alisson, Van Dijk, Diaz, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Salah, Jota, Robertson, Gravenberch, Alexander-Arnold, Quansah. Subs: Kelleher, Endo, Konate, Nunez, Jones, Gakpo, Elliott, Tsimikas, Bradley. Referee: Tim Robinson (West Sussex). VAR official: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire).

Photo: TWTD

thorpedo added 11:50 - Aug 17 Mo Farah will have good energy.
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JewellintheTown added 11:50 - Aug 17 Mo Farah will be doing lots of running today. Might get muscled off the ball a bit though. Good finisher though.
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TimmyH added 12:04 - Aug 17 Great! Muric our new GK picks up a knock...into the fire for Walton and a few others! Wish the Town all the best!
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Sefton_Blue added 12:05 - Aug 17 Final game of 2022/23 season was a 2-2 draw with Fleetwood, not 1-1
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TimmyH added 12:07 - Aug 17 Have to say too a bit surprised none of the new players are starting other than Delap (no choice as no forwards)...maybe McK see's this game as a free hit.
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oldelsworthyfan added 12:21 - Aug 17 Maybe a reward for the Championship winners to have the Premiership start. Watch for the substitutions.
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Linkboy13 added 17:56 - Aug 17 Walton couldn't do nothing about the Liverpool goals and saved us from a heavier defeat when he was left very exposed by a tiring team late on.
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