Liverpool's pre-season preparations are further solidifying, with a friendly match against Preston North End now set for July 13.
The Premier League champions will face off against the Championship team in a pre-season fixture just days after they reconvene for training ahead of the defense of their 20th title in the 25/26 season.
Arne Slot will be welcoming back several of his players to the AXA Training Centre on July 7, before the weekend's brief journey to Deepdale. The Reds hosted North End in a behind-closed-doors encounter at their Kirkby base last year and visited Preston in 2023 when managed by Jurgen Klopp.
Before embarking on their summer tour of Hong Kong and Japan, the reigning champions will play against Paul Heckingbottom's squad, who finished 20th in the second tier last season.
Liverpool will jet off to Hong Kong on July 21 and is scheduled to face Serie A heavyweight AC Milan at Kai Tak Sports Park on Saturday, July 26, followed by a trip to Japan to play Yokohama F. Marinos on July 30 at Nissan Stadium.
Liverpool players Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk with the Premier League trophy
Liverpool will return for pre-season in July (Image: Steven Halliwell | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Following this, the Reds currently have no fixtures until August 10 when they take on FA Cup winners Crystal Palace in the Community Shield at Wembley. However, with a free week before the annual season opener at the national stadium upon their return from Asia, there is potential for a midweek Anfield friendly to be slotted into the schedule.
This summer's excursion to Hong Kong marks the first time the Reds have travelled to the region since the summer of 2017, when they participated in the Premier League Asia Trophy.
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Their last visit to Japan was in December 2005, when they were runners-up in the Club World Cup under Rafa Benitez. This summer's trip to Tokyo, facilitated through their commercial partnership with Japan Air, will be their inaugural pre-season visit to the city.
Season ticket holders and LFC Official Members can snap up tickets for the Preston match from on Monday, June 16, while general sales commence from on Tuesday, June 17.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Liverpool ECHO by clicking here.