Liverpool has returned for preseason this week and will play its first friendly of the summer against Preston North End in difficult circumstances following the tragic passing of Diogo Jota.
The game at Deepdale, of course, will mark the first time that the Reds have played since the heartbreaking news about Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, emerged.
The Reds have confirmed that Jota's No. 20 will be retired after speaking with his family. Meanwhile, tributes will be made pre-match to the Portugal striker, and his teammates were consulted before the go-ahead was given for the friendly to take place.
Though soccer seems unimportant in the context of such a loss, preseason will mark the start of the process of returning to some form of normality at Anfield — at least as much as that will be possible.
And given that Liverpool has more time than most on the training field this summer thanks to not qualifying for the Club World Cup, Arne Slot will be able to run the rule over his players more thoroughly before the new campaign kicks off.
While some could still move on in the transfer market, that will only be if their valuation is met. There is interest in the likes of Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott, for instance, though both have had long enough to show Slot what they can do and where their future should lie.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot. (Image: Nikki Dyer - LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
In the case of a few others, though, there is more of a point for them to prove either in terms of their long-term future at the club or where they should stand in the pecking order.
With the arrival of Florian Wirtz, Curtis Jones will have to prove that he can be a regular starter — perhaps by showing himself capable of playing in all three midfield positions. Such versatility might be his best route into the team, though his spot in the team has been threatened in the past, only for him to come through and prove his worth.
And given that Federico Chiesa struggled so much for game time last season, he falls into that category even more clearly. The Italian has interest from clubs in Serie A, but nothing has been firmed up at this stage. Wherever he is next season, he needs to play more.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot. (Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Stefan Bajcetic and James McConnell could both head out on loan but Slot was a big fan of the latter last year. He stopped McConnell heading out for regular senior action in January because he was impressed by what he saw.
For Bajcetic, the question is about his fitness rather than his ability. The Spaniard broke into the Liverpool team under Jurgen Klopp but has had injury problems since then and never really got going. He ended last season injured, and it remains to be seen exactly where he is up to with his recovery.
The pair are both talented, though, and in the same position, Tyler Morton hardly played a minute for the entirety of last season but showed what he can do while away with England at the U21 European Championship. As with Elliott, he has already admitted that a move away might be for the best.
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Ben Doak falls into a similar boat, with Crystal Palace among the sides to have taken a look at him. And Jayden Danns, who missed much of last season through injury but is still very talented, could get a chance too.
Kaide Gordon and Lewis Koumas, who were both on loan in the Championship last year, are good players. Neither, however, really shown themselves to be capable of hitting Liverpool standards just yet, with Gordon, in particular, struggling for game time in the second tier. Another loan spell, or even a permanent exit, could make sense for the pair.
Sunday's game at Preston will come in difficult circumstances and it is hard to know what to expect from it. For lots of Liverpool players, though, there is a chance to impress coming — and they will want to take it.