Liverpool are closing in on the beginning of an exciting new season after a busy June.
The Reds have added three new players to their squad, with the trio all arriving in time for the first day of pre-season.
With July almost upon us, Liverpool‘s return to training is now just one week away. The squad will reconvene at the AXA Training Centre on Tuesday July the 8th.
Having departed as Premier League champions in May, the mentality must now shift again as Liverpool aim for further glory under Arne Slot.
One of the most impressive things about Slot’s debut season last year was that he did it having had barely any of the Liverpool squad available to him during pre-season.
Euro 2024 robbed Slot of the chance to work with many of his best players until August. But, one year on, the Liverpool head coach is set to oversee a very different summer.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot smiles as he steps out onto the pitches at the AXA Training Centre.
Photo by Nikki Dyer – LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Liverpool almost full for pre-season start
There’s no question Slot did not have an ideal situation during his first months as Liverpool boss last year. Nevertheless, the Dutchman made the most of it and then some.
This time, without any senior international tournament to get in the way, Slot is set to reap the benefits of having virtually his whole squad available to him.
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According to the Liverpool ECHO, the only two players set to miss next Tuesday’s start date are European Under-21 Championship winners Harvey Elliott and Tyler Morton.
Elliott and Morton will reportedly be given ‘additional holiday time’ having only finished their season on Saturday evening.
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The English duo aside, though, every single Liverpool player is ready to report for duty.
Having seen Joe Gomez return to fitness at the end of the campaign, the Reds also have no injury worries heading into pre-season. It is a very clean slate indeed.
Elliott chances dealt further blow
Pre-season should be an exciting time for Liverpool supporters this year. With new players of real pedigree joining the club, there is so much to look forward to.
For Slot, he must be licking his lips at the chance to get proper time on the training ground with his players in order to implement some new ideas.
The 46-year-old frequently referred to the fact that the busy schedule meant he could not work on things as much as he’d like to during the season. With everyone fit and available, now is the time to do that.
It is not good news for everyone, though, with Elliott’s absence particularly noteworthy. The 22-year-old had a brilliant U21 Euros with England, putting himself in the shop window for a summer move.
There is still a chance Elliott is not finished at Liverpool, but starting behind the rest of his teammates by arriving late for pre-season will not help his cause. Elliott was already playing catch-up, now he’ll be chasing from even further behind.