Preparations for the upcoming season under the guidance of new manager Arne Slot are about to begin for Liverpool Football Club. With the 2023/24 season behind them, the team is eager to make a fresh start. The first wave of player returns will be overseen by Slot and his staff, as pre-season training kicks off this week. The team is expected to remain at the AXA Training Centre until their tour of the United States later in the month.
However, the squad will be missing several senior players in the early weeks due to their commitments in the Euro and Copa America tournaments. Players like Mohamed Salah, Wataru Endo, Curtis Jones, and Harvey Elliott are expected to return right away. Young talents such as Conor Bradley and Kostas Tsimikas will also be present. Slot will closely observe these early returnees before discussing the squad’s direction with new sporting director Richard Hughes.
On the other hand, a long list of players will be absent from pre-season training due to their involvement in international tournaments. Andy Robertson and Dominik Szoboszlai, who were eliminated from the Euros, will enjoy a three-week break. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, and other key players will also be missing.
The players can expect rigorous testing from the club’s fitness department right from the start. Although Ruben Peeters has taken over as the new first-team lead physical performance coach, the players will still undergo thorough assessments. The club’s fitness staff aims to determine each player’s base fitness level after their holidays. There will be no room for hiding as they undergo individual assessments.
Liverpool has confirmed four pre-season friendlies, three in the United States and one at Anfield. The matches include Real Betis on July 26 in Pittsburgh, Arsenal on July 31 in Philadelphia, Manchester United on August 3 in South Carolina, and Sevilla on August 11 at Anfield. There have been suggestions of behind-closed-door friendlies for extra preparation, but no official news has been released yet.
With Jurgen Klopp no longer overseeing pre-season preparations, the arrival of Arne Slot and his staff marks a new era for Liverpool. The club is undergoing significant changes in all departments, generating anticipation and excitement for what lies ahead. However, time is of the essence for Slot, who has less than 50 days to settle in and prepare his team amidst the challenges of international commitments and limited player availability. Nonetheless, Liverpool is determined to make the most of the time they have and hit the ground running in the new season.