Liverpool is set to commence its pre-season preparations for the upcoming campaign, marking the beginning of a new era under manager Andoni Iraola. The team will officially start training on Tuesday at the AXA Training Centre. This initial phase will involve players not engaged in the latter stages of the World Cup, along with new signings and academy prospects aiming to impress the new head coach.
The early days of pre-season are crucial, especially with the squad scheduled to depart for a pre-season tour in the United States just one week after the initial sessions on Merseyside. This tight schedule means every day will be vital for new arrivals to integrate and for returning players to demonstrate their capabilities to Iraola.
Squad Assembly and Early Arrivals
The first group of players reporting for pre-season is expected to be smaller than the full squad that will assemble later in the month. This is due to several senior international players still fulfilling summer commitments and others recovering from injuries. Despite this, a blend of familiar faces, recent acquisitions, and academy talents will be present.
In goal, Liverpool anticipates a fresh lineup. Giorgi Mamardashvili and fellow summer signing Freddie Woodman are expected to join the squad, alongside highly-rated Hungarian youngster Armin Pecsi. Iraola will assess these options as he prepares for the new season.
Defensively, Jeremy Jacquet has already demonstrated his fitness by undertaking preparatory work with Liverpool’s Under-21s at the AXA Training Centre. He is now expected to train with the senior group. Jacquet’s transfer to Liverpool was announced in January, and he was officially unveiled earlier this week. As part of his agreement, he spent the remainder of the 2025-26 season with Rennes. During his time with Rennes, Jacquet played a total of 159 minutes. He sustained a left shoulder injury during a match against Lens on February 7th, which required surgery. Fortunately, he has made a full recovery. On Thursday, Iraola and sporting director Richard Hughes observed the 20-year-old during his preparatory work.
Jacquet will be joined by Joe Gomez, new signing Milos Kerkez, and fellow arrival Jeremie Frimpong. Kostas Tsimikas is also returning for the initial phase of preparations after a season-long loan spell at AS Roma.
Midfield and Attacking Options
The midfield will feature several recognisable names. Harvey Elliott is expected to report back with the first-team squad following his spell away with Aston Villa last season. Elliott, who was on the bench for the Europa League final, earning a winner’s medal, made nine appearances across all competitions. He has entered the final 12 months of his contract at Anfield and is set to receive an opportunity to prove his worth to Iraola during pre-season. Alongside Elliott, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Trey Nyoni, and James McConnell are all anticipated to be available from the first day of training.
Further forward, the options for the initial sessions are fewer. Federico Chiesa and highly-rated teenager Rio Ngumoha are expected to be the only established first-team attacking players present. Several youngsters are also set to be given an opportunity to participate in training and potentially stake a claim for involvement throughout the campaign. These include Josh Abe, Jayden Danns, Kieran Morrison, Mor Talla Ndiaye, Lewis Koumas, and Will Wright, who will help to bulk out the training sessions.
Players Returning Later
Not all players will be immediately available for the start of pre-season. Several individuals are expected to miss the opening day due to injury, including Vitezslav Jaros, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, Wataru Endo, Stefan Bajcetic, and Hugo Ekitike.
The squad is expected to strengthen considerably once they arrive in the United States for the pre-season tour. Captain Virgil van Dijk is anticipated to link up with the team there, along with Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Ryan Gravenberch, and Cody Gakpo. Alisson is scheduled to return slightly later. Additionally, Alexis Mac Allister and Munoz may not be available until around the middle of August, following their deep runs into this summer’s World Cup.
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Source: standard.co.uk
