Arne Slot‘s first pre-season tour takes him and his squad to the United States, but what can we expect from Liverpool as they travel across the Atlantic?
For the first time since 2019, the Reds are heading Stateside. A number of key figures are missing, but the trip remains an important one as the new season draws ever closer.
Liverpool will face three different clubs in three different cities, but there is more to this pre-season trip than training and matches.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Which players are part of the squad?
Slot named an initial 28-man squad for the tour:
Goalkeepers: Kelleher, Jaros, Pitaluga, Davies
Defenders: Quansah, Van den Berg, Phillips, Nallo, Robertson, Bradley, Tsimikas, Chambers, Beck
Midfielders: Szoboszlai, Jones, Endo, Elliott, Bajcetic, McConnell, Morton, Stephenson, Nyoni
Forwards: Salah, Carvalho, Doak, Gordon, Koumas, Blair
The quartet of Diogo Jota, Alisson, Ryan Gravenberch and Ibrahima Konate should join them later in the tour.
Who are Liverpool playing, and how can we watch?
Slot’s men will play three games over eight days. His first match in front of fans is against La Liga opposition, then two Premier League rivals follow:
- Reat Betis: Local time – July 26, 7.30pm; UK – July 27, 12.30am
- Arsenal: Local time – July 31, 7.30pm; UK – Aug 1, 12.30am
- Man United: Local time – Aug 3, 7.45pm; UK – Aug 4, 12.45am
All games will be shown live on LFCTV GO here.
Is Slot holding a press conference?
Yes, the head coach will front the press on the eve of the first match against Real Betis.
He will be taking questions from the media on Thursday, 5pm (BST), which will be broadcast live on This Is Anfield’s YouTube channel.
We hope to hear more on how the team is progressing, any squad updates and further insight into what he wants to see from his side moving forward.
Which stadiums and cities are the club visiting?
Acrisure Stadium (Heinz Field), Pittsburgh, PA – Home of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pitt Panthers – Opened 2001 – Capacity 68,400#steelers #nfl #steelersnation #pittsburgh #pittsburghsteelers #football #herewego #steelcurtain #panthers #pittpanthers #pirates #terribletowel pic.twitter.com/1TbQqD0QOy
— Stadium Vagabond (@StadiumVagabond) May 5, 2024
Liverpool are stopping in three different cities during their tour: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Columbia.
The stadiums in the first two cities are home to NFL teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles, respectively.
The final stop is the home of the University of South Carolina Gamecocks college football team – which is the biggest stadium on tour. No surprise it is for the clash against Man United!
- Real Betis: Acrisure Stadium – Pittsburgh. Capacity – 68,400
- Arsenal: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia. Capacity – 67,594
- Man United: Brice Stadium, South Carolina. Capacity – 77,559
Tickets are likely to sell out for the Arsenal and Man United games, but the Betis game is not looking like a full capacity.
Will any players report back during the tour?
The expectation is for only Alisson and Diogo Jota to report back during the trip to the US, having bowed out of their respective summer tournaments in early July.
A three-week break for the pair would see them report from July 29, the start of a week that sees the Reds face Arsenal and Man United.
But there is scope for Ibrahima Konate and Ryan Gravenberch to rejoin the squad having failed to clock a single minute at Euro 2024.
The remaining seven international players are not anticipated to return until the second week of August.
Are there any fan events and special guests?
Yes, plenty will be going on away from the football throughout the tour.
Jamie Webster will be performing at the Fillmore in Philadelphia on July 30 – the day before the Arsenal match – and there will also be on-stage interviews with current and former players.
Ian Rush, John Barnes, Lucas Leiva, Gary McAllister, Sami Hyypia and Natasha Dowie are the Liverpool Legend representatives and will be present throughout the tour – so keep an eye out for them!
There are fan events in each city, from meets ups and tailgates, and our friends at Kop USA have all the information you will need for tickets, locations and dates.
