Andoni Iraola has officially taken over as Liverpool head coach following Arne Slot's departure at the weekend. The club confirmed the appointment on Thursday, and fourteen first-team players are expected to report for pre-season training early next month, giving Iraola an early chance to work with his squad.
Liverpool's pre-season includes a tour of the United States with friendlies against Leeds United, Wrexham and Sunderland. Two additional home fixtures at Anfield against Monaco and Como have also been arranged for August, offering Iraola his first taste of matches on Merseyside.
Several key players will be absent due to World Cup commitments. Alisson Becker, Alexander Isak, Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch, Wataru Endo, Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz and Alexis Mac Allister are all away with their national teams. Mohamed Salah (Egypt), Andy Robertson (Scotland) and Ibrahima Konate (France) have also departed for the tournament.
Among those available from the start of pre-season are goalkeepers Giorgi Mamardashvili and Freddie Woodman. Defenders Jeremie Frimpong, Giovanni Leoni, Joe Gomez, Milos Kerkez, Calvin Ramsay and Jeremy Jacquet are also due to report. Conor Bradley, however, is still recovering from a knee injury.
In midfield, Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai, Stefan Bajcetic and Trey Nyoni are expected to be fit. Jones, though, has been linked with a transfer away from Anfield. Forward players Federico Chiesa and Rio Ngumoha are also available, while Hugo Ekitike is nursing an Achilles injury.
The World Cup group stages conclude on June 27, with knockout rounds starting the following day. Liverpool players involved will be given a rest period before rejoining pre-season later in the summer.
