Liverpool's pre-season preparations are stepping up with less than three weeks until the Premier League opener against Newcastle United. New manager Andoni Iraola is looking to improve on a disappointing title defence last season, and the squad has been boosted by the return of three players to training at the AXA Training Centre.
Pre-season so far
The Reds have played three pre-season games, all in America, winning 4-2 against Sunderland and 1-0 against Wrexham, before losing 4-2 to Leeds on Sunday. Iraola's side host Monaco at Anfield on Sunday (2.30pm kick-off) and finish their schedule on Sunday, 16 August, with a double header against Como.
For Iraola, these games are about building fitness and implementing his tactical ideas, but avoiding injuries that could impact the start of the season is a key priority.
Jeremy Jacquet
The defender arrived this summer after missing the end of last season with a shoulder injury. He travelled with the squad to the US but did not feature in any of the three matches. Iraola said: "He did the first part of the pre-season, let's say, very well. Now he's feeling some discomfort, so we don't want to rush him. He comes from a lot of months without playing. And obviously I would like to try with him with Virgil when he recovers, because with the injury to Joe we've been without senior centre-backs. But we have to be careful with Jeremy, yes."
Joe Gomez
Gomez was forced off just minutes into the first pre-season match against Sunderland with a muscle injury. He is expected to be out for around a month, ruling him out of the Newcastle opener. Iraola said: "Joe has a muscle injury. It was quite clear since he complained straight away so he will be some weeks off. It's a muscle injury. It's difficult to say - normally one month. If it goes very good, then a little bit less. If it goes bad then a bit more but it's a muscle injury. It's not massive. I think it will be impossible to have him for the start of the season because we are not so far but it shouldn't be a lot more."
Jeremie Frimpong
The full-back signalled to the bench and pointed to his groin in the second half of the defeat against Leeds, and was immediately substituted. However, Iraola has played down concerns: "Jeremie asked for the sub (but) I don't think it's an injury. It was just some overload and I hope he's not injured in that way. I don't think we've lost anyone."
World Cup absentees
Victor Munoz, part of the Spain squad that lifted the World Cup this summer, is due to return next week. Iraola said: "He comes next week. We spoke to him and he wanted also to come a little bit earlier than the three weeks that they have the right to have, because obviously he is coming to a new club, he will need some time to adapt, to meet his teammates. We will have him next week as soon as we arrive there, basically. It's good news."
Alisson Becker, who was with Brazil at the World Cup, will be available from the first day. Iraola said: "Alisson will be there from the first day. He was arriving to AXA a little bit later than Cody [Gakpo] and Virgil [van Dijk]. But he will be [there] since the first day that we arrive and will start training there in Liverpool."
Alexis Mac Allister, part of the Argentina squad that reached the final, will have an extended break. Iraola said: "Alexis will have, I think, until the Monaco game. I think deserved holidays for him; long season, long World Cup, played until the final, has played a lot of minutes. I hope he comes fully recovered and he enjoys also the break that he definitely has earned."
Other injury updates
Conor Bradley suffered a serious knee injury in January but was part of the squad during the US tour, continuing his rehabilitation. Hugo Ekitike is working back from a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in April, targeting Boxing Day as his return date. Wataru Endo is closing in on a return after partially training with the group in the US. Giovanni Leoni, also recovering from a knee injury, is still "way off" full fitness, according to Iraola.
