Joel Matip will miss the clash against Chelsea due to an ankle injury, paving the way for a Klavan debut.
Ragnar Klavan will make his first appearance in a Liverpool shirt on Thursday
New Liverpool signing Ragnar Klavan will make his debut on Thursday against Chelsea, according to the Liverpool Echo.
Klavan will deputise for the injured Joel Matip, who is currently nursing an ankle injury sustained in Liverpool’s pre-season clash with Wigan Athletic earlier this month.
The Reds do not want to take any chances on the fitness of their other new centre-half signing, as they want him to be 100% fit for their mouth-watering opening day encounter with Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal.
Injured: Matip
Cameroon international Matip was snapped up by manager Jürgen Klopp on a free transfer from German club Schalke 04, with the former Dortmund boss looking to provide competition for Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren, with Kolo Toure and Martin Skrtel having departed the club.
Toure has recently signed for Celtic, while Skrtel will be playing in Turkey next season for Fenerbahce.
Kolo Toure has joined Celtic
Estonian defender Klavan is another such name brought in to fight for a place in the Reds’ back four, and the former Augsburg man will get a chance to show what he can offer when Liverpool take on Chelsea on Thursday.
The International Champions Cup clash will take place at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and the game is scheduled to kick off at 8pm local time on Wednesday night, which is 4am British time on Thursday.
Teammates: Klavan and Daniel Sturridge
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