Friendlies

The first batch of players arrived at the camp in Leicester on Monday, April 3 while others arrived on Tuesday. The camp will end on April 11.

Besides Shaw, the other Reggae Girlz include Chantelle Swaby, Havana Solaun, Peyton McNamara, Sydney Schneider, Solai Washington and Tiffany Cameron. Also in camp are Allyson Swaby, Atlanta Primus, Drew Spence, Rebecca Spencer, Paige Bailey Gayle, and Kayla McKenna.

Cheyna Matthews, Kameron Simmonds Tiernny Wiltshire and Victoria Williams are also in the camp.

Jamaica has been drawn in Group F in the World Cup alongside Brazil, France and Panama.

The Reggae Girlz kick off their campaign against France on July 23 before facing Panama on July 29. They will then take on France on August 2.

Thomas Tuchel's side took a deserved lead into half-time thanks to a fine finish from Kai Havertz, who had scored the winner in the Champions League final in May.

Havertz clipped a clever shot high beyond Bernd Leno after being played into space by Timo Werner, who missed a good chance for a second three minutes later.

The Gunners, who brought on new signing Ben White at half-time, drew level 69 minutes in when Granit Xhaka headed in Nicolas Pepe's cross.

However, Chelsea's lead was restored within four minutes as Tammy Abraham slotted a precise finish beneath Leno following a mistake by Hector Bellerin.

Arsenal should have been given an equaliser when Joe Willock crashed a shot off the crossbar and the ball appeared to bounce over the line, but with goal-line technology not in use, it was not awarded.

Mikel Arteta will also be concerned to see midfielder Thomas Partey forced to go off with what appeared to be an ankle injury in the first half.

Chelsea will now face Tottenham on Wednesday before Arsenal take on their north London neighbours on August 8.

The unnamed individual is currently asymptomatic and has been isolated, the JFF said in a brief statement today.

As per protocols set by the host, persons testing positive are isolated for 10 days after which another test is done. If a negative result emerges, persons can travel home.

Last week Thursday, the JFF said two members of the delegation – a player and a member of the technical staff – had tested positive for the virus while two other members were under observation. This latest positive is a new case that has affected the camp.

A player tested positive while the delegation was on its way to Saudi Arabia and was isolated in London and did not make the trip to the Middle East.

The Reggae Boyz are in Riyad to play two friendlies against Saudi Arabia’s national team. The Reggae Boyz lost their first of those encounters 3-0 on Saturday. The second friendly is set for Tuesday, November 17.

The inaugural Maradona Cup will take place at Mrsool Park in Riyadh on December 14, a little over a year after the former Argentina star died in his homeland at the age of 60 from heart failure a fortnight after undergoing brain surgery.

Maradona played for Boca in 1981-82 before moving to Europe with Barca, where he won the Copa del Rey, the Copa de la Liga and the Supercopa de Espana.

He returned to Boca for the final two years of his career before retiring in 1997.

The match will take place in the week after Barca face Bayern Munich away in their final Champions League group game, with a LaLiga game at Osasuna scheduled for December 11.

Ronald Koeman's side will be due back in Saudi Arabia in January 2022 for the Supercopa de Espana along with Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao.

Barca and Boca have met 10 times previously, most recently in the Joan Gamper exhibition game in 2018, which the Catalans won 3-0.

While most European nations will prepare for their final Nations League matches with friendlies in the coming days, South America is straight back into competitive action with the latest rounds of 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

A host of players are celebrating call-ups and will be doing their utmost to win their first caps, particularly with less than a year to run until the delayed Euro 2020 and Copa America finals.

We've picked out six of the biggest names hoping to make an impact on their debut this week...

ENGLAND: JUDE BELLINGHAM

Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham was called up by England boss Gareth Southgate after injuries to Trent Alexander-Arnold and James Ward-Prowse.

The 17-year-old, who will be England's third-youngest debutant if he plays this month, has enjoyed a strong start to life in the Bundesliga and beat the likes of James Maddison and Ross Barkley to a spot in the Three Lions squad.

Key Fact: Bellingham is averaging 68 successful passes per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga this season for Dortmund, the highest figure for any teenage midfielder in Europe's top five divisions.

FRANCE: MARCUS THURAM

Didier Deschamps said Ruben Aguilar could also make his debut this week, but it is Borussia Monchengladbach's Marcus Thuram who is capturing much of the focus on the France squad.

The son of 1998 World Cup winner Lilian Thuram, who holds the record for France caps on 142, striker Marcus Thuram scored both goals in Gladbach's 2-2 Champions League draw with Real Madrid.

Key Fact: Thuram has been directly involved in 20 league goals since the start of last season (11 goals and nine assists) – the only Gladbach player with more in this period is fellow Frenchman Alassane Plea.

GERMANY: FELIX UDUOKHAI

Along with Philipp Max of PSV and Wolfsburg's Ridle Baku, Augsburg's Felix Uduokhai is a new face in Joachim Low's Germany squad, having been a runner-up at the European Under-21 Championship last year.

The 23-year-old defender joined Heiko Herrlich's side permanently after impressing on loan from Wolfsburg last season and has performed well in a mixed start to the season for the Bavarians.

Key Fact: Uduokhai has already amassed 43 clearances in Augsburg's opening seven Bundesliga matches this season, the most of any player in the division.

ITALY: PIETRO PELLEGRI

Roberto Mancini named a handful of uncapped players in his typically expansive Italy squad, but Pietro Pellegri's debut has been eagerly awaited for some time.

Having missed out through injury after his previous call-up two years ago, the 19-year-old forward - who cost Monaco €25million in January 2018 - is getting his career back on track after a raft of fitness problems.

Key Fact: Pietro Pellegri is the third-youngest player to score a Serie A goal, doing so aged 16 years and 72 days for Genoa against Roma in May 2017. He is also the youngest player to score a Serie A brace at 16 years and 184 days old for Genoa against Lazio in September 2017.

SPAIN: MARCOS LLORENTE

At 25, it feels as though Marcos Llorente's Spain debut has been a long time coming, but his performances in a more attacking role for Atletico Madrid this season have truly caught the eye.

The former Real Madrid man, who famously scored twice at Anfield in extra time to knock Liverpool out of last season's Champions League, has helped Atleti to an unbeaten first seven games in LaLiga in 2020-21.

Key Fact: Llorente has been directly involved in 11 goals in his past 21 appearances in LaLiga (six goals and five assists) – prior to this run, he had a total of zero goals and two assists in 69 appearances in the competition.

BRAZIL: DIEGO CARLOS

Diego Carlos played a key role to help Sevilla win the Europa League in his first season in Spain. Indeed, having conceded penalties in the quarter-final, semi-final and final, it was his overhead kick that Romelu Lukaku turned into his own net to hand Julen Lopetegui's side the trophy.

The 27-year-old centre-back, who joined after three years with Nantes, is now bidding to become a mainstay in Tite's plans as the Copa America and 2022 World Cup loom on the horizon.

Key Fact: Diego Carlos has started seven sequences of play that have ended with Sevilla attempting a shot in LaLiga this season, the joint-most of any centre-back in the division alongside Gerard Pique.

The joy of winning last year's delayed Euro 2020 tournament has been replaced by rapid deflation after Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup.

Having also missed out on the Russia 2018 finals, falling short of a place at Qatar 2022 represented crushing disappointment for the four-time winners.

Chiellini, the 37-year-old defensive titan who is leaving Juventus and expected to join Los Angeles FC, has called time on his Italy career.

He played the first half on Wednesday in a 3-0 defeat to Argentina at Wembley, in a match tagged as the Finalissima, a clash of the champions of Europe and South America.

"We were hoping to win the match and the trophy," Chiellini told Italian broadcaster RAI. "We knew it would be tough, but the defeat does not cancel what has gone before.

"Now I expect a difficult period. We need everyone to support this group."

Chiellini lasted just 45 minutes in his farewell game, with Italy 2-0 up by the time he departed.

This was the first staging of the CONMEBOL/UEFA 'Cup of Champions' since 1993. Lautaro Martinez, Angel Di Maria and Paulo Dybala got the goals as Lionel Messi pulled the strings

It was a sorry way for Chiellini to go out, and he said: "It's a shame because in the first half we made a lot of mistakes and we ruined the match by ourselves."

Turning his attention to Argentina, he added: "Above all, at this moment they are too strong, they have confidence and they are a team. They look like us a year ago."

Italy, without Chiellini, will switch their focus to the Nations League. They face Germany on Saturday and again on June 14 – matches against Hungary and England are sandwiched in between.

Writing on his Instagram page, Chiellini reflected on the end of a 117-cap career.

He wrote: "Thanks to everyone, it's been a beautiful journey."

Spain and Italy have been two of the hardest-hit European nations during the COVID-19 outbreak, recording 27,709 and 32,007 deaths, respectively.

Everyday life – including sport – has seen massive changes across both countries over the past two months, with lockdown measures only recently beginning to be eased.

The three European giants will play matches next year to determine the winner of the European Solidary Cup, but the main purpose will be to aid the purchasing of healthcare supplies and express gratitude to medical professionals for their work during the pandemic.

The matches will be played across each of the three cities, with the tournament announced for 2021 in the hope fans will once again be able to attend.

A statement released by Los Blancos read: "Real Madrid are set to team up with Bayern Munich and Inter to host the European Solidarity Cup in 2021. The three clubs will come together to send out a message of solidarity and fraternity to the people of Europe.

"The solidarity event will see three football matches held during 2021 in the cities of Madrid, Munich and Milan. The dates for these games will depend on the competitive calendar and of course will take place when the fans are able to return to the stands.

"The three teams will all come up against each other: Madrid vs Inter will happen in Madrid, Inter vs Bayern is set for Milan and Bayern vs Madrid will be held in Munich. The proceeds from these games will go towards the purchase of healthcare resources in Italy and Spain.

"Healthcare staff who continue to fight the pandemic will be represented at all of the games. The three clubs wish to demonstrate to these heroes all of our solidarity, respect and gratitude."

Bayern resumed their 2019-20 Bundesliga campaign on Sunday with a 2-0 win over Union Berlin.

LaLiga and Serie A are not expected to recommence until next month at the earliest, however.

The Premier League clubs and A-League outfit Brisbane Roar were due to play in Queensland in July ahead of the 2020-21 season.

However, those fixtures were unsurprisingly postponed on Wednesday due to COVID-19, which has killed more than 177,000 people worldwide.

"It is a real shame that we will no longer be able to make it over to Queensland this summer, however, it is the right decision to postpone given the circumstances," West Ham manager David Moyes said in a statement.

"The players and I were really looking forward to seeing our fans and the people of Australia, especially as there was great excitement and support for the tournament.

"This is a situation that has affected the entire world, though, and the only thing that matters at this time is that people stay safe and well.

"We hope the tournament can be rearranged at a later date once things are back to normal, and we look forward to visiting Australia in the future."

Australia has seen more than 6,600 coronavirus cases, including 74 deaths.

Jamaica was in negotiations to play the United States and a top Central American team in the USA but the continued rise in numbers of COVID-19 cases has forced the postponement of both games, for health and safety reasons, the JFF said in a statement Sunday. 

“The Jamaica Football Federation, in conjunction with its counterparts from the United States, has decided to forgo two Friendly Internationals which were being negotiated to be played in October,” the statement said. 

The JFF said it would continue to seek opportunities to play games in preparation for the World Cup qualifiers which start in June next year. 

Two other players are under investigation.

All four, who had been in quarantine for 48 hours with the full group, have now been isolated and the protocols, set by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation (SAFF), are expected to be put into effect. 

The protocols dictate that all confirmed cases - either symptomatic or a-symptomatic - will be isolated in the same hotel on a different wing or section away from the bulk of the rest of the team. Based on medical advice, possible isolation in a different hotel or medical facility is not ruled out.

If a patient is asymptomatic then he or she will be constantly assessed by the JFF Head Doctor and the patient will be allowed to travel after a negative PCR test or based on a medical assessment and local authority health protocol.

If the patient shows symptoms of Covid-19 and requires further medical care he or she will be transferred to a designated hospital. Any confirmed case has to be retested after three days of the disappearance of the last symptom to assess his or eligibility for travel.

The Jamaican delegation is now in Saudi Arabia preparing to play two International Friendlies against the host on November 14 and 17.

The Netherlands forward converted an 85th-minute penalty as Barca clinched a 3-1 win over Girona at Johan Cruyff Stadium on Saturday.

Depay joined the Blaugrana on a free transfer earlier this month after his contract expired with Ligue 1 club Lyon.

"I know they expect a lot from me," Depay told a post-match media conference.

"I'm very happy to have played with this shirt. I enjoyed the fans in the stadium, they were very enthusiastic throughout the match and they have shown a lot of energy. 

"I work hard to provide incredible moments for Barca fans. 

"When we play in the stadium it will be incredible too. The fans will give us energy."

Depay netted 76 goals in 178 appearances for Lyon where he enjoyed an impressive final season in Ligue 1 with 20 goals, trailing only Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe (27 goals).

The 27-year-old's 12 assists and 94 chances created were more than any other player managed in France's top flight in 2020-21.

In all competitions, meanwhile, Depay scored 22 goals last term at an average of one goal every 141.5 minutes, making it his second-best season since arriving.

He massively exceeded his expected goals (xG) total of 12.38.

"He is a high-quality player," Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman said of Depay after the win over Girona.

"He has shown it in certain moments of the game. It is important because you have to have competition in the positions at the top.

"Some players may have more minutes than others in pre-season. The internationals, not yet. Little by little we will give more. We will try to be prepared for the first league game."

The Chelsea midfielder kept his cool from the spot to put England ahead in the 60th minute after a frustrating goalless first half.

Trent Alexander-Arnold made sure of the victory in the 85th minute, striking a superb low volley around Nikola Vasilj and into the bottom corner.

Harry Kane, off the bench, added a third from close range, pouncing on the loose ball after Ezri Konsa had inadvertently blocked Jarrod Bowen's shot on the line. 

Data Debrief: England find shooting boots in second half

Palmer is just the fifth player to see his first-ever England goal come from the penalty spot, after Tommy Lawton (1938), Alf Ramsey (1951), Allan Clarke (1970) and Ivan Toney (2024).

Not only did Alexander-Arnold score his third goal for the Three Lions in this game, but he also created five chances, at least three more than any other player on the pitch.

Kane may not have started, but his late strike is the 12th goal he has scored in his last 12 matches for the national side across all competitions. 

Ilkay Gundogan missed a key chance in the first half, tamely firing at Anatoliy Trubin as he failed to break the deadlock.

Maximilian Beier proved a threat off the bench for the hosts, striking the bar and forcing a good stop out of the goalkeeper.

Germany were indebted to Manuel Neuer too, as he made big saves to keep out Roman Yaremchuk and Andriy Yarmolenko to ensure Ukraine's wait for a win over Die Mannschaft went on. 

Data Debrief: Die Mannschaft misfire

Germany created an expected goals tally (xG) of 2.4 against Ukraine, having 27 shots at Trubin's goal, though only five were on target. 

They dominated in all areas of the game but lacked a clinical edge to get a win in front of the home fans. 

That is the message from Miami's chief business officer Xavier Asensi, who hinted to Mundo Deportivo that his side will look to make a move for Messi.

Gareth Bale and Giorgio Chiellini made their MLS debuts on Sunday for Los Angeles FC in a 2-1 win over Nashville SC.

Five-time Champions League winner Bale and Chiellini, who won Euro 2020 with Italy last year, joined Wayne Rooney, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Beckham as some of the biggest names to play in MLS.

With Messi's Paris Saint-Germain contract set to expire at the end of the upcoming season, Asensi suggested Miami will attempt to sign Messi but conceded the aim may be unrealistic.

When asked whether signing a player like Messi was a target for Beckham's side, Asensi said: "Yes, with some caveats. You can't compare Leo Messi with any other player; he's different.

"Having said that, what we're looking for is to be the reference point for football in the U.S., and to do that, the important thing is the players and the show that you can put on.

"To do so, you need the best players, and having them is a genuine objective at this club. In terms of Leo Messi, there's him and then there's everyone else.

"It depends on him and what he wants. We want to have the best players in the world, and I think Messi is the best in history. From there it's up to him."

Messi, 35, experienced a lean first season by his own high standards for PSG, scoring 11 goals in 34 appearances in all competitions.

That return was 17 fewer than he managed for Barcelona in the 2020-21 campaign, his final campaign before ending a 21-year association with the Blaugrana.

Though his goal tally diminished, Messi set up 14 league goals – only once in his last five seasons at Camp Nou (21 in 2019-20) did he assist more in a term.

After making his intentions and admirations for Messi clear, Asensi's focus turned to the pre-season friendly against Barca on Wednesday.

"From an emotional point of view it's marvellous and professionally it's exceptional," he added. "Barca are, if not the biggest, one of the three biggest clubs in the world for sure, and clubs are the ones that capitalise on the passion for football.

"I don't know of any fans of FIFA or UEFA. In international football everyone supports their country, but clubs don't have any borders, they go everywhere. And in terms of clubs, Barca are among the biggest, looking at the numbers.

"Emotionally, it's the biggest thing for me. To have them here, for the people of Miami, is spectacular."

Newcastle will face German clubs Mainz and 1860 Munich in Austria ahead of the 2022-23 season.

But the scheduled matches have not been welcomed by supporters of those clubs due to the identity of Newcastle's owners.

The consortium that bought Newcastle last October includes Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), which owns 80 per cent of the club.

Saudi Arabia's human rights record is of major concern, along with its role in the war in Yemen.

But Mainz insist they cannot afford to cancel the Newcastle friendly, both because of the need to prepare for the Bundesliga season and due to contractual obligations.

"A friendly against a big English club is first of all a really good test for us," said chairman Stefan Hofmann in a statement in which Mainz confirmed they had held further talks with Newcastle and would plan to meet with fans. "It's also important for our team’s pre-season preparations.

"After weighing up our options and not having an appropriate alternative opponent of this standard available, we agreed to play this game.

"We didn't expect the reaction we got from some fans. We respect them and regret that these concerns have arisen because it's our responsibility to start the new season as one big unit together with our fans."

Mainz board member Christian Heidel added: "From a footballing perspective, we can't afford to miss out on this friendly.

"A one-sided cancellation of the fixture, as has been demanded by some fans, is not feasible, because were we to not honour our contractual obligations, this could have serious legal and economic consequences for us, and so we're going to stand by the contractual agreement."

Mainz coach Bo Svensson had already addressed the concerns, saying as reported by Bild: "On the one hand, I can understand the arguments.

"[But] whenever it comes to football, things get very inflated and become huge issues."

Referring to the PIF's shares in Disney, Svensson added: "How far are we going? Will we then also forego Disney films with our children?"

1860 coach Michael Kollner said to db24: "You always have to be a bit careful when conducting a moral discussion. I find that difficult. You can find something in everyone.

"We haven't done everything right in the past either – and teams are still playing against us in preparation.

"Newcastle was bought by someone with the money he has. I don't know if we are always entitled to evaluate things – especially in times when we have completely different issues in Europe.

"Unity looks different. I'm responsible for the sport – and I'm glad we got this test match."

Argentina were comprehensive 3-0 winners at Wembley, as the CONMEBOL/UEFA 'Cup of Champions' was revived for the first time since 1993.

Lautaro Martinez, Angel Di Maria and Paulo Dybala got the goals as Lionel Messi pulled the strings, but in truth Italy were fortunate to only lose 3-0 against a hugely impressive Albiceleste.

It was only Italy's second match since their shock World Cup qualifying defeat to North Macedonia in March, with that loss preventing them from reaching Qatar 2022.

Despite the Azzurri winning Euro 2020 less than a year ago, Mancini is already looking to instigate something of a rebuild.

But he was keen to pay tribute to those who have played a key role over the past four years.

"In the first half we made two mistakes on their two goals, then they were better at keeping the ball," Mancini is quoted as saying by Sky Italia.

"They were better than us, but I must say thanks to these guys who have played in these four years.

"There is regret for the lack of qualification for the World Cup, and tonight's match was initially balanced, then they had superior quality to us.

"After this match we had in mind to change several things and we will do it. We need to find the players, put together a team that will suffer at the beginning and that in the future will be able to give us joy."

Clearly, the attack will be Mancini's primary focus in any rebuild as he rued a lack of threat going forward.

"We have great difficulty scoring at the moment, and we have to work a lot knowing that it will not be so simple and it will take time [to overcome their issues]," he continued.

"After the European Championship we struggled to score and we have to find solutions in this sense and try to be fast, but it will not be easy to put together a team that gives us short-term satisfaction even if there are good guys. We will have to make as few mistakes as possible.

"I have optimism. I like to work and train. It's true that we lost against a great Argentina team, but we must know that there will also be these moments and we must make sure that the youngest players learn quickly."

Italy now turn their attention to the Nations League. They face Germany on Saturday and again on June 14 – matches against Hungary and England are sandwiched in between.

La Roja travel to Lisbon this week to face Portugal on Wednesday in the first meeting between the sides since the 2018 World Cup group stages.

Ronaldo scored a hat-trick, which included a stunning late free-kick, on that occasion to earn a 3-3 draw with Spain in Sochi.

Former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique has previously sided with Messi in the debate over who is the greatest modern player, describing the Blaugrana number 10 as the best in the world "in every position" and "the best in the history of football".

However, he has huge admiration for the way Juventus forward Ronaldo continues to strive for success at the age of 35 and after spending 18 years in senior football.

"Our goal doesn't change aside from the fact confronting a player of his profile can be motivational," he told reporters on Tuesday as he looked ahead to the friendly at Estadio Jose Alvalade.

"As a team, we will try to do things better than Portugal and try to cause them problems – that's the goal. Whether Ronaldo plays or not, the situation, the general approach to the game doesn't change.

"With regards to your other question, if you check through your newspaper archives, you already knew what my opinion is and I don't think it will be ideal for me again to comment on who is the best player in the world for me.

"What is worthy of praise is the fact that players like Cristiano and Leo Messi keep getting older but maintaining such a high level thanks to their professionalism, their ambition and their capacity to be motivated and keep achieving goals. Both Cristiano and Messi are examples of that."

Ronaldo has scored three goals and set up another in his first two Serie A appearances of 2020-21, with Juve beating Sampdoria 3-0 and then drawing 2-2 with Roma.

Messi has one goal in three LaLiga matches, with Barca beating Villarreal 4-0, Celta Vigo 3-0 and drawing 1-1 with Sevilla in Ronald Koeman's first three league games in charge.

El Tri, who will play three more games prior to the 2022 World Cup, were made to work hard for the win in an evenly contested match with few shots on target.

Lozano's 85th-minute strike was the difference, firing home on the volley after Cesar Montes had nodded on a corner.

Mexico forward Henry Martin pushed a 19th-minute header wide, while Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez fired a long-range effort over the crossbar early in the second half.

Peru, who missed out on World Cup qualification to Australia in the playoffs, had 9-7 shots and marginally edged possession but failed to generate much in attack.

Mexico, who are grouped with Poland, Argentina and Argentina at the World Cup, will take on Colombia in Santa Clara on Tuesday.

Neymar tied the Selecao all-time scoring record of the late Pele (77) with his goal against Croatia as Brazil were eliminated in the World Cup quarter-finals in December.

An ankle injury sustained in Paris Saint-Germain's recent win against Lille will keep him from beating that record in Morocco though.

With head coach Tite stepping down after that defeat in Qatar, interim Brazil boss Ramon Menezes will take charge of the friendly and has selected nine new faces, including Chelsea's Andrey Santos – back on loan at Vasco da Gama – Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes and Athletico Paranaense striker Vitor Roque.

United duo Casemiro and Antony are joined by other Premier League players Ederson, Emerson Royal, Renan Lodi, Lucas Paqueta and Richarlison in the squad, though there is no place for Liverpool trio Alisson, Fabinho or Roberto Firmino.

Brazil take on World Cup semi-finalists Morocco on March 25 at Ibn Batouta Stadium in Tangier.

Brazil squad to face Morocco: Ederson (Manchester City), Mycael (Athletico Paranaense), Weverton (Palmeiras); Arthur (America MG), Emerson Royal (Tottenham), Alex Telles (Sevilla), Renan Lodi (Nottingham Forest), Roger Ibanez (Roma), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Robert Renan (Zenit); Andre (Fluminense), Andrey Santos (Vasco da Gama), Casemiro (Manchester United), Joao Gomes (Wolves), Lucas Paqueta (West Ham), Raphael Veiga (Palmeiras); Antony (Manchester United), Richarlison (Tottenham), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Rony (Palmeiras), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid), Vitor Roque (Athletico Paranaense).

It was 1-0 at the break after Mohamed Salah netted the opener eight minutes into the friendly, with Liverpool making four substitutions before heading back out for the second 45 minutes, including Darwin replacing Roberto Firmino up front.

The former Benfica striker did not have to wait long to get on the scoresheet, stepping up to the penalty spot and converting to make it 2-0 in the 48th minute.

Just three minutes later Darwin was the beneficiary after a turnover deep in the Leipzig defence, getting slipped through on goal by Trent Alexander-Arnold before finishing hard and low across the goalkeeper into the bottom-left corner.

He completed his hat-trick with a lunging tap-in from the edge of the six-yard box, getting on the end of a low cross from Harvey Elliott, before completing his rout with a fourth in stoppage time.

Speaking to the media after the win, Klopp said he was excited to see his side clicking in the second half with their near-£100million man, and that it is the best way to quell any chatter about his hefty purchase price.

"When we struggled a little bit, it was always after three minutes' break we played football again, then a deep breather and play football again," he said. "I wanted us to be a bit more hard with ourselves, go over that point – it's pre-season. 

"I think we did that in the second half, obviously. 'Hendo' came on, and [James Milner] – they both were lively. 

"Hendo all of a sudden as an eight, went in behind and we created chances. Then Mo gives Darwin the penalty and Darwin – Pandora's box was open. That'a of course a perfect night for him.

"We always think that if you pay a lot of money then the players feel no pressure or whatever – they are all completely normal human beings.

"If the first touch is not perfect then all of a sudden… this generation of players read social media, which is really not smart, but they do. All of a sudden you get in a rush and these kinds of things. 

"That's the best way obviously to stop all these discussions. He's a different striker to what we have or what we had, but he's a really good one."

Liverpool's next friendly will take place away against Salzburg next Wednesday.