Liverpool fans can breathe a sigh of relief as three senior players are set to join the squad for pre-season while the team embarks on their three-city tour in the United States. The initial squad named for the tour consisted mainly of young players, but head coach Arne Slot has confirmed that Diogo Jota, Ibrahima Konate, and Ryan Gravenberch will all be joining the squad over the next two weeks.
Jota, Liverpool’s No. 20, will be the first to report back, arriving on Thursday, just in time for the team’s match against Real Betis. However, he will not be able to participate in the game. Jota’s involvement in the European Championships was cut short at the quarter-final stage, where he played a total of only 232 minutes for Portugal. Before joining the group for training, he will undergo testing to ensure he is ready to join his teammates.
Konate and Gravenberch will follow a similar return plan, reporting back to the squad in Philadelphia, the second stop on Liverpool’s tour. The team will face Arsenal during their time in Philadelphia.
While these three players will be rejoining the squad, there are still several senior players on holiday, including Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, Alexis Mac Allister, and Darwin Nunez. These players will report back to Merseyside in August. Since the team is already in the United States, there is no need for them to make a brief pitstop before traveling all the way back to Kirkby. Although this leaves them with little time to prepare for the season opener against Ipswich on August 17, the rest they are getting during their holiday will hopefully benefit them in the long run.
In unfortunate news, Andy Robertson will not be able to play any minutes during the tour due to an injury sustained while representing Scotland at the Euros. This setback will require him to focus on his recovery and rehabilitation rather than participating in the pre-season matches.
Overall, the return of Jota, Konate, and Gravenberch will provide a much-needed boost to the Liverpool squad during their pre-season preparations. It is important for the team to have their key players back in training and ready for the upcoming season. As they continue their tour in the United States, Liverpool fans will be eagerly anticipating the return of their star players and hoping for a successful start to the new season.