Liverpool to play Barcelona at Wembley
Liverpool will play Spanish champions Barcelona at Wembley Stadium on August 6, reports Sky Sports.
The game will form part of the Reds’ International Champions Cup pre-season campaign and is likely to be the side’s final outing before the beginning of the Premier League season.
Juergen Klopp’s side also have tournament fixtures against Chelsea and AC Milan scheduled for California, with all of Liverpool’s pre-season preparations set to take place away from Anfield as redevelopment work continues.
But the Reds’ trip to London is likely to attract most attention, with cult hero Luis Suarez set to face his former side for the first time since departing Merseyside in 2014.
The Uruguayan – along with Lionel Messi – is undoubtedly going to be the star attraction of the showcase, but Brazilian Neymar seems set to miss the match because of the Olympics.
Javier Mascherano could also line-up against his former team, with the 31-year-old likely to join Messi in missing out on Rio in favour of concentrating on June’s Copa America.
Liverpool could also be missing key players for the matchm with new signing Lorius Karius destined for the Olympic Games with Germany.
The £4.7m signing from Mainz has not been named in his country’s Euro 2016 squad and looks likely to go to Brazil as he fits the competition’s ‘under-23 criteria’.
Roberto Firmino will also miss the friendly if he is named in Brazil’s squad for Rio as one of three ‘over-23’ players permitted, which remains a realistic possibility after he was omitted from the country’s Copa America squad