Liverpool’s pre-season plans currently feature four major friendlies in the UK and USA, but more matches are anticipated this month.
The Reds kicked off their first pre-season under new manager Arne Slot last Friday, with players arriving at the AXA Training Centre in phases over the coming weeks.
Recently, Mohamed Salah and Wataru Endo rejoined the squad on Merseyside for initial assessments on Wednesday.
Harvey Elliott, Kostas Tsimikas, Fabio Carvalho, and Jarell Quansah are already deep into training, and their regimen is expected to intensify as ball work progresses.
Initially, it was thought that all preparations were leading up to the first pre-season friendly against Real Betis in the United States on July 27. However, according to Paul Gorst of the Liverpool Echo, Liverpool are likely to play several behind-closed-doors matches at the AXA Training Centre before their US tour.
Gorst suggests that there could be a couple of friendlies at the Kirkby base, potentially against local teams. Under Jurgen Klopp’s previous management, the Reds often played warmup matches against teams like Tranmere, Wigan, and Blackburn, indicating possible opponents.
The schedule of nearby teams will influence these plans, but it seems likely that Liverpool will add more warmup fixtures as Slot gets to know his squad.
Due to the nature of these behind-closed-doors games, they are unlikely to be broadcast for fans, although details about the players involved should be available.
On Sunday, a 30-man squad trained at the AXA, including Curtis Jones, Conor Bradley, Stefan Bajcetic, Sepp van den Berg, Ben Doak, Jayden Danns, Tyler Morton, James McConnell, and Nat Phillips.
Although Liverpool are still missing players who were called up for the Euros and Copa America, Slot should be able to field a strong lineup for any friendlies before the team heads to the US.
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