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Arne Slot has confirmed when Liverpool’s final seven players will report for pre-season following Euro 2024 and the Copa America.
With several Liverpool players going deep into the European Championships and Copa America, Slot’s first pre-season has been less than ideal in terms of getting across his ideas to his starting XI.
There is plenty to be positive about with the squad already adapting to his style well, but the Reds’ season will be defined by the performances of their key players, many of whom haven’t yet met Slot with two weeks until the new season starts.
On LFC TV, Slot confirmed when the rest of the squad will return for pre-season, saying: “On Tuesday all the other players arrive as well, so we want to start then with all the players available.”
So, Tuesday, August 6 is when we can expect Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Alisson, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo back with the team.
Alexis Mac Allister has already joined up with the squad, flying straight to America to watch Liverpool’s 3-0 win against Man United from the sidelines.
Hopefully, Van Dijk will have had the “well-needed break” he spoke of after his Netherlands team were knocked out of Euro 2024 at the semi-final stage by England.
“Time for a well-needed break now to reflect and recharge after a year full of ups and downs, physically and emotionally,” he wrote on July 11.
The returning players will have just 11 days to prepare for Liverpool’s Premier League opener against Ipswich, though they will have all been maintaining their fitness while on holiday.
Between now and the trip to Portman Road, the Reds have a day of friendly matches at Anfield on August 11 to help them prepare.
At 12.30pm (BST), Liverpool will face Sevilla in front of a crowd before the fans leave and the squad returns to the pitch to play Las Palmas at 5pm.
We expect the first game to mainly made up of first-team players, while more youngsters should be involved in the second fixture, which will be available to watch on LFC TV and LFC TV GO.
Whether Slot will select each of those late returners against Ipswich is up for debate. It could be that he bides his time and trusts the players that have, so far, won three consecutive pre-season matches.
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