There are pre-season games that matter mainly for fitness, and then there are pre-season games that begin to answer a few real questions. Liverpool’s meeting with Monaco on Sunday, August 9, 2026 at 2.30pm BST feels closer to the second category, because it may bring Victor Munoz’s first appearance in red while also showing how far the squad has already moved into competitive shape.
Munoz’s route to this point has been slow but understandable. His £34.5million move from Osasuna was finalised before the World Cup, yet his involvement was delayed after Spain went all the way in North America. He also battled an injury for La Roja and did not make a single appearance, then had to complete a mandatory three-week holiday after the finals. Only on Wednesday did he train for the first time, which makes this weekend a realistic opportunity for a debut rather than a guaranteed start.
The player himself sounded open to the idea. He said he was ready, adding that if the coach wanted him in the starting XI after training, he would be there. He also made clear that he is keen to get going and suggested Monaco as a possible first outing. That is exactly the kind of measured confidence Liverpool will want from a winger who has arrived with a sizeable fee and immediate expectations.
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This is also a useful checkpoint for the wider squad. Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo started their pre-season on Tuesday, while Alexis Mac Allister is due back next week after his World Cup break. The predicted lineup is being shaped by those returns as much as by the absences, which means selection is still fluid even before the first whistle.
That balance matters. Liverpool are not simply waiting for one new signing to settle; they are trying to manage a squad in different physical states at once. Some players are just beginning, some are coming back from tournament duty, and others are still working through injury absences. In that kind of environment, a friendly against Monaco becomes less about the result and more about whether the pieces can fit together cleanly.
For Munoz, the timing is encouraging. A debut would not only mark the end of the waiting period, but also offer Liverpool an early look at how he handles the pace and spacing of a new system. For the club, it is a reminder that pre-season often tells you more about availability than form, and sometimes that is the most important detail of all.
If Munoz does feature against Monaco, it will not settle every question. But it would confirm something Liverpool have been building toward since his move from Osasuna was completed: a first chance to see how one of their most expensive summer additions looks when the season is only just beginning to take shape.
