A new season brings new headaches for Jurgen Klopp.
Better headaches, he will hope.
After spending much of the last campaign worrying about how he was going to cobble together a competitive side, the Liverpool boss will face a different kind of challenge this time around.
Decisions, decisions, decisions.
The Reds are optimistic heading into their Premier League opener at newly-promoted Norwich this weekend, and why wouldn’t they be? After the struggles of last season, the 2019-20 champions are ready to right the wrongs.
They might not have been the most active club in the summer transfer market, but Klopp remains convinced by, and happy with, the quality within his squad.
And that means, he hopes, some selection dilemmas as the season progresses.
Here, Goal takes a look at the big issues he faces…
The defence
There’s only one place to start, really. Liverpool’s defence was decimated by injuries last season, to such an extent that they spent a few weeks playing without any recognised centre-backs around the turn of the year.
That, hopefully, will not be the case this year, when the Reds should be an altogether stronger, and more stable, outfit.
The return of Virgil van Dijk will be key. The Dutchman is back after more than nine months on the sidelines with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, he has a new four-year contract in his back pocket and he is likely to immediately start games following a productive pre-season.
The question, really, is who will partner him?
Joe Gomez, who did so with such success during the title-winning season, is also back after his own knee injury. Gomez and Van Dijk share a close relationship on and off the field, but it remains to be seen how long it takes for both players to get back up to full speed after so long out. The feeling is that Klopp will risk only one at a time, for the first few weeks of the season anyway.
The good news is that he has other options. Joel Matip, who missed the final four months of last season due to an ankle injury, has played a full part in pre-season and is likely to start against Norwich. The 30-year-old is a high-class performer when available, but staying fit has been a major issue.
Then there’s the new-boy, Ibrahima Konate. The £36 million ($50m) signing from RB Leipzig looks a real prospect, and like Matip has enjoyed a full, uninterrupted pre-season. Quick and powerful, and comfortable on the ball, the 22-year-old should make a big impact at Anfield. He looks, on paper at least, like he could be an ideal partner for Van Dijk.
At full-back, Liverpool still have the best in the business in Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson, though the latter will miss the start of the season due to an ankle issue. Kostas Tsimikas, the Greek international, should fill in while Robertson recovers.
GoalThe midfield
So much of the debate surrounding Liverpool this summer has focused on the midfield, and in particular the lack of transfer activity following the departure of Gini Wijnaldum to Paris Saint-Germain.
Wijnaldum was one of Klopp’s staples, making close to 250 appearances during his five years on Merseyside, including 51 in all competitions last season.
He’ll be missed, and while there is surprise that Liverpool haven’t yet sourced a direct replacement for the Dutchman, there is plenty of promise in the options already available to Klopp.
Only once last season was he able to field what many would describe as his A-list midfield three. Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara started the 2-2 draw at Everton in October, before heading their separate ways. Fabinho went to centre-back, Thiago to the treatment table, which is where Henderson finished the season following a groin operation.
Those three, in theory at least, could offer the perfect mix of experience, legs and passing quality, and it will be interesting to see how quickly Klopp gets them together. Both Thiago and Henderson are a bit behind the rest when it comes to match fitness, at present.
And so others must try and take their chance. Naby Keita, for example, has another opportunity to stake his claim. The Guinea star will start against Norwich but how long can he remain healthy for?
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is another who needs to put their injury worries behind them, while Curtis Jones must continue to move forward as he did last season. James Milner, at 35, continues to defy time and will again play an important squad role.
And then there’s Harvey Elliott, the 18-year-old who has made such a big impression during pre-season. Signed as an attacking winger, the former Fulham man has played on the right of a midfield three during the summer and looked more than at home.
Could he be a wildcard this season? He has the talent, for sure.
GoalThe attack
So, how do you fit four into three?
That, make no mistake, is Klopp’s problem this season. A nice one to have, he’d say.
Liverpool’s front three has been set for years, and rightly so. The performances of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino have been beyond reproach, and central to the Reds’ success.
But all good things must come to an end some time, and this could well be the season the guard begins to change.
Diogo Jota is the prime reason for that. The Portugal star enjoyed a superb debut campaign at Anfield; his tally of 13 goals in all competitions would have been far higher had it not been for a knee injury which cost him more than two months of action.
Jota has again looked sharp in pre-season, and should challenge Roberto Firmino for a starting role this term. Firmino’s form dipped badly last year, but Klopp will hope for a return to form from the Brazilian.
Will we see all four of them play together, perhaps? It happened on a couple of occasions last season - notably away at Manchester City in November - and it is certainly a tantalising prospect. With a settled defence and midfield, it is one to consider.
GoalBeyond those four, questions remain. Takumi Minamino has potential but has proven little in his 19 months at the club, while Divock Origi’s stock has tumbled.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has played as a No.9 at times in pre-season, while 16-year-old Kaide Gordon, a left-footed right-winger looks, like Elliott, like one for the future.
Liverpool look likely to sell Xherdan Shaqiri, with Lyon among the clubs keen, while doubts remain over the futures of defenders Nat Phillips, Neco Williams and Ben Davies, all of whom have been attracting interest this summer.
It remains to be seen if any further incomings are secured before the end of the transfer window. Klopp says he is happy with his squad, but has hinted that there may be room for manoeuvre if and when players leave.
Either way, Liverpool should be competitive again this season. And unlike last year, Klopp's greatest challenge this time around may be deciding which players NOT to pick.