Liverpool is still waiting for all of the key players to return to action in preseason, with the dates for Alexis Mac Allister and Victor Munoz now revealed by Andoni Iraola.
Alexis Mac Allister #20 of Argentina shows dejection after the team's 0-1 defeat in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
Alexis Mac Allister is set to reunite with the Liverpool squad next week(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool duo Alexis Mac Allister and Victor Munoz are closing in on a return to preseason, with Andoni Iraola revealing the plan for the pair to prepare for the new season ahead.
With a hectic season ending with the climax of the World Cup final, some players spent almost a whole year playing soccer with little to no break.
The competition dragged on until mid-July, which had a knock-on effect for the teams who wanted to get key players back in action at the start of pre-season.
Liverpool has been one of the teams most keenly impacted, with staggered returns for several stars who have been away on their breaks before getting back into peak physical condition.
A return for Florian Wirtz, Ryan Gravenberch, and Alexander Isak is on the cards against Leeds in a friendly match on Sunday, while the trio of Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, and Alisson Becker will wait to join the rest of the group next week after they featured in training back at the AXA Training Centre.
It means, barring those impacted by injury, Liverpool is only waiting for the duo who made it all the way to the World Cup final: Alexis Mac Allister and Victor Munoz.
The former started almost every game for Argentina, who lost in the final game, while the latter was involved in training for champions Spain but ultimately didn't feature for a minute.
That will play a factor in when the pair will return, as Iraola told LFCTV that Munoz will be back next week, as he 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 also good news.”
New Liverpool signing Victor Munoz won the World Cup with Spain on Sunday
New Liverpool signing Victor Munoz won the World Cup with Spain on Sunday (Image: (Photo by Hector Vivas - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images))
While it's an early return for Munoz, there will be a longer wait for Mac Allister to get back involved, as the manager revealed he should be back after the Monaco game on August 9.
He continued: "And 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.”
It remains to be seen what condition the pair will return to Liverpool in, with Iraola balancing the awkward phased returns of players through a pre-season that has already been filled with twists and turns.
The manager will be hoping to control what he can, taking every challenge in his stride as the countdown to the Newcastle game on the opening weekend continues ticking down.