In goal, Filip Jorgensen gets the nod from coach Maresca. Ahead of him, the back four consists of Axel Disasi, Tosin Adarbioyo, Benoit Badiashile, and Renato Veiga. There is speculation that Veiga could revert to a defensive midfield role, thus transforming the back four into a back three during the course of the match.
Moving on to the midfield, Moises Caicedo is deployed as the holding midfielder, while Kiernan Desbury-Hall plays as the standard central midfielder. Christopher Nkunku occupies the hybrid role between central midfielder and attacking midfielder.
On the wings, Pedro Neto makes his debut on the right side, with Mykhailo Mudryk patrolling the left flank. Youngster Marc Guiu spearheads the attack as the lone striker.
The full starting lineup reads as follows: Jorgensen, Disasi, Tosin, Badiashile, Veiga, Caicedo (c), Desbury-Hall, Nkunku, Mudryk, Neto, Guiu.
Maresca has rung the changes from the previous lineup, with Nkunku shifting to a more central role after featuring on the left side in the match against Manchester City. The tactical setup is likely to resemble the initial stages of the preseason, with Neto and Mudryk offering width while Disasi moves centrally from right-back to form a back three. Meanwhile, Veiga is expected to drop back into a defensive midfield position alongside Caicedo.
