New Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has officially started working with his players at the AXA Training Centre, marking the beginning of his tenure at the club. Iraola, appointed last month as successor to the sacked Arne Slot, was on the training pitch with a select group of eight Liverpool squad members on Tuesday for preparatory work ahead of the start of pre-season next week.
First Session Details
The group primarily consisted of players returning from injury or loan spells, meeting the Spaniard for the first time. Also present were members of Iraola's new-look backroom staff, confirmed last week. New £60million centre-back signing Jeremy Jacquet, whose previous season at Rennes was ended early by shoulder surgery, was the most high-profile name being put through their paces.
Harvey Elliott, who spent last season on loan at Aston Villa, and James McConnell were also out on the grass, along with Stefan Bajcetic, who hasn't played for Liverpool's first team in more than two years. Other players at the facility included Hugo Ekitike, Wataru Endo, Conor Bradley, and Giovanni Leoni, all continuing their rehabilitation programmes following serious injuries.
Injury Updates
Ekitike has targeted Boxing Day as a return from an Achilles operation underwent in April, while Endo was forced to pull out of Japan's World Cup squad due to an ankle problem suffered in February. Liverpool are hopeful Leoni will play some part in pre-season having been out since last September with ACL damage, while no timescale has been set for Bradley's return having been missing since a major knee operation in January.
Pre-Season Schedule
The majority of the Reds' squad will reconvene at the AXA Training Centre next Tuesday (July 14), while there will be a staggered return for those who were on World Cup duty with their countries. Each player is allowed three weeks off after their country's participation has ended at the tournament.
