Liverpool is set to commence its pre-season preparations for the upcoming campaign on Tuesday at the AXA Training Centre. The initial sessions will see players not involved in the latter stages of the World Cup begin training under new head coach Andoni Iraola. This early phase is crucial as the squad is scheduled to depart for a pre-season tour in the United States just a week after the first sessions on Merseyside.
The opening days of pre-season are expected to feature a mix of familiar faces, new acquisitions, and academy prospects aiming to make an impression. With several senior international players still fulfilling summer commitments and others recovering from injuries, the initial group of players will be smaller than the full squad that will assemble later in the month.
Squad taking shape
The goalkeeping unit for the start of pre-season is anticipated to have a fresh look. Giorgi Mamardashvili and fellow summer arrival Freddie Woodman are expected to be present, alongside highly-rated Hungarian youngster Armin Pecsi, as Iraola evaluates his options for the new season.
In defence, Jeremy Jacquet has already demonstrated his fitness by undertaking preparatory work with Liverpool‘s Under-21s at the AXA Training Centre. He is now expected to join the senior group for training. Jacquet’s transfer was announced in January, and he spent the remainder of the 2025-26 season with Rennes. He played a total of 159 minutes after his transfer was confirmed, with his time at Rennes interrupted by a left shoulder injury sustained on February 7th against Lens, which required surgery. However, he has since made a full recovery. Jacquet will be joined by Joe Gomez, new signings Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, and Kostas Tsimikas.
The midfield will include several recognisable names. Harvey Elliott is expected to report back with the first-team squad following his spell with Aston Villa last season. Elliott, who was on the bench for the Europa League final, made nine appearances across all competitions. He has entered the final 12 months of his contract at Anfield and is set to receive an opportunity to impress Iraola during pre-season. Other midfielders set to be available from day one include Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Trey Nyoni, and James McConnell.
Further forward, options are fewer for the initial sessions. Federico Chiesa and teenager Rio Ngumoha are anticipated to be the primary established first-team attacking players present. A number of youngsters, including Josh Abe, Jayden Danns, Kieran Morrison, Mor Talla Ndiaye, Lewis Koumas, and Will Wright, are expected to participate in training and potentially contend for involvement throughout the campaign.
Players returning later
Not all players will be immediately available for the start of pre-season. Vitezslav Jaros, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, Wataru Endo, Stefan Bajcetic, and Hugo Ekitike are all expected to miss the opening day due to injury.
The Liverpool squad is expected to significantly strengthen once they arrive in the United States. Captain Virgil van Dijk is anticipated to link up with players such as Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Ryan Gravenberch, and Cody Gakpo during this phase. Alisson is scheduled to return slightly later, while Alexis Mac Allister and Munoz may not be available until around the middle of August, following their deep runs into this summer’s World Cup.
The club will gradually assemble its full-strength squad as the Premier League campaign approaches.
Read Also
Source: standard.co.uk
You may also like
As News-GB's Sports Reporter, Megan Sinclair reports on tennis, cricket and athletics for readers across the country. She built her name interviewing rising British talent. She holds a degree in Sport and Media from the University of Edinburgh and completed an NCTJ diploma. Megan lives in Edinburgh, where she plays club tennis and follows track athletics. “Give the athletes room and the story tells itself.”