Eight Liverpool players featured at this summer’s World Cup, but only Alexis Mac Allister and new signing Victor Munoz remain in the competition.
Andoni Iraola has revealed when Liverpool’s World Cup players will return for pre-season, with six members of his squad currently on post-tournament holidays.
Eight Liverpool players featured at this summer’s World Cup, but only Alexis Mac Allister and new signing Victor Munoz remain in the competition as it heads into the semi-finals.
UK ONLY
Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch, Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Alisson have all been eliminated and are not expected to report to the AXA Training Centre when pre-season begins on Tuesday.
Instead, Iraola has confirmed the club will continue their long-standing policy of giving players a three-week break following the end of their involvement in major international tournaments.
Speaking at his introductory press conference, Andoni Iraola said: “I think it is what it is, we cannot change it. I think players deserve a break.
“The ones that have been in the World Cup deserve at least three weeks so they can enjoy their time with friends, family, thinking other things.
“Even physically, some of them need a rest after a very busy season.” The former Bournemouth boss added: “I’m looking at the positives almost, because I’ve had now one week to see every training of the U21s.
“We’ve had some of the players from the first team willing to come a little bit before so they are already in a better shape to start.
“Already today, that they didn’t have to come, I’ve seen two or three that I haven’t seen before, that they are already here, ready for the testing tomorrow.
“So, I think this progressive introduction also will allow me maybe to get more in touch with every player. And also will give especially the young players, some players that have been on loan, more minutes during pre-season.
With a three-week break in place, Wirtz is expected to return around July 21, followed by Van Dijk, Gravenberch, Gakpo and Isak on July 22. Alisson is due back on July 27.
By then, Liverpool will already be on their pre-season tour of the United States, where they will be based in Chicago before friendlies against Sunderland, Wrexham and Leeds in three different cities.
The six returning players are expected to join the squad in the US, undergo fitness assessments and gradually build up their match minutes.
Meanwhile, Mac Allister and Munoz are set to miss the tour entirely, with their returns expected around August 9 or 10. They are therefore likely to feature only in Liverpool’s final pre-season friendly against Italian side Como on August 16.