Liverpool's pre-season training kicks off on Friday, but Arne Slot will be missing 14 key players in his first sessions. S
Liverpool’s pre-season training kicks off on Friday, but Arne Slot will be missing 14 key players in his first sessions.
Slot and his coaching team are gearing up for a new chapter at Liverpool, ready to welcome the squad back to training. However, international fixtures are causing some disruption.
Currently, seven Liverpool players are still competing at Euro 2024: Joe Gomez, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch, Cody Gakpo, Ibrahima Konate, and Diogo Jota have all reached the quarter-finals. Despite early exits, Andy Robertson, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Vitezslav Jaros will also miss the initial training sessions as they are on holiday, entitled to at least three weeks off. They will rejoin in time for Liverpool’s friendlies in America against Real Betis, Arsenal, and Manchester United.
Players still in the major tournaments will remain on duty for a few more days, possibly longer if they advance further, with the finals scheduled for July 14. Those who reach the finals will return to training after the US tour, ahead of Liverpool’s home game against Sevilla at Anfield on August 11.
Liverpool’s first competitive match of the season is an away game against Ipswich on August 17 at 12:30 PM (BST).
Besides the international commitments, other players might also miss the start of pre-season. Ben Doak, omitted from Scotland’s European Championships squad due to injury, may not be fit for full training on Friday. Sepp van den Berg, who has expressed a desire to leave Liverpool, is still expected to participate in pre-season. Adrian’s status remains uncertain; although officially out of contract, he is still listed as a player on the club’s website. His first pre-season game might be against Betis, the club he is rumored to be joining.
Absentees: Alisson, Jaros, Gomez, Van Dijk, Konate, Robertson, Alexander-Arnold, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Diaz, Nunez, Gakpo, Jota
Likely youth players: Pitaluga, Morton, Williams, Van den Berg, Danns, Koumas, McConnell, Clark, Nallo, Nyoni, Gordon
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