Curtis Jones is the only absentee from Liverpool’s 25-man squad as they prepare to face Manchester United at Old Trafford this weekend.
While most Premier League clubs were caught up in the drama of deadline day, Liverpool maintained their focus on the upcoming clash, conducting a training session on Friday at the AXA Training Centre.
Arne Slot, Liverpool’s head coach, led the session, with Curtis Jones the only player missing due to an injury that also kept him out of last weekend’s 2-0 victory over Brentford. Slot had previously indicated that Jones was a doubt for Sunday’s 4 p.m. kickoff in Manchester, and it’s now confirmed that the midfielder will not be available.
Despite Jones’ absence, Slot has a full-strength squad to choose from as the season progresses. New signing Federico Chiesa took part in his first training session with his teammates on Friday, bringing an extra boost to the squad. Meanwhile, Tyler Morton, who was the subject of a late loan offer from Bayer Leverkusen, will remain at Anfield after the bid was turned down.
Amid ongoing speculation about their futures, Joe Gomez, Caoimhin Kelleher, and Wataru Endo were all present at training. The first team currently includes limited academy involvement, with only goalkeepers Harvey Davies and Kornel Misciur, along with midfielder Trey Nyoni, representing the youth ranks.
However, a new initiative under Slot appears to be integrating the U21s with the senior squad more closely, as players like James Balagizi, Trent Kone-Doherty, Dominic Corness, and James Norris briefly trained with the first team before beginning their own session.
Looking ahead to Sunday, Slot is not expected to make many changes to his starting lineup, given Liverpool’s strong early-season form and the ample time between fixtures. It’s still uncertain whether Chiesa will be included in the matchday squad, as he hasn’t played since the Euros. Slot hinted that it’s more likely Chiesa will not be involved, barring any unforeseen injuries.
The full squad in training on Friday included:
Goalkeepers: Alisson, Kelleher, Davies, Misciur
Defenders: Konate, Van Dijk, Quansah, Gomez, Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Tsimikas, Bradley
Midfielders: Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Elliott, Endo, Morton, Nyoni
Forwards: Salah, Chiesa, Jota, Diaz, Nunez, Gakpo
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