Liverpool will face Ipswich Town this Friday, Sept. 4, on Matchday 3 of the Premier League. Bradley Barcola is not in the starting XI after recently arriving from Paris Saint-Germain for €125 million ($145.2m).
Although this match could be the official debut for the 24-year-old Frenchman, he is not in the starting lineup, which is completely normal considering that he recently joined the team and is probably not yet 100% integrated into the dynamics of coach Andoni Iraola’s squad.
So it is not an injury or a technical decision to leave him out, but simply part of the adaptation process Barcola will have to go through before he can start for the Anfield team.
You can follow the match with live updates and the lineups for both teams down below.
Bradley Barcola Ready to Help Liverpool Earn First Premier League Win
Only two Premier League matchdays have indeed been played in the 2026-27 season, but it is also a reality that Liverpool’s start to the campaign has not been ideal. After two matches, they have only two points, having drawn 2-2 with Newcastle on the opening matchday.
The Reds’ goalscorers were Cody Gakpo in the 55th minute and Dominik Szoboszlai in the 90th minute plus nine minutes of stoppage time from the penalty spot. For a long stretch of the match, Newcastle were on course for the victory, as Anthony Elanga gave them the lead in just the fifth minute and Joe Willock scored in the 57th minute.
Then, on Aug. 29, Liverpool drew 2-2 again, this time against Nottingham Forest. The goalscorers for Iraola’s team were Alexander Isak in the 60th minute and Víctor Muñoz in the 82nd, while the home side scored twice through Dan Ndoye in the 24th minute and Morgan Gibbs-White in the 60th minute from the penalty spot.
Therefore, the Anfield side is still waiting to deliver a first victory to its fans and will try to achieve it away from home against Ipswich Town. To do so, Barcola could get minutes in the second half and help Liverpool secure its first victory of the season.
For those who are not very familiar with Barcola’s playing style, he is a winger who used to play very wide for Luis Enrique’s PSG, generally on the left, but he was not unfamiliar with finding moments to play on the right side.
He is not the best dribbler, but he has great technical quality, though he still needs to refine his decision-making. With space, he combines his speed and quality into a lethal weapon for any team.
Why Is Bradley Barcola Not Starting for Ipswich Town vs. Liverpool?