Liverpool’s players are due back at the AXA Training Centre on July 13, where Andoni Iraola will officially begin work as the club’s new manager following Arne Slot’s dismissal at the end of last season.
The Spaniard has completed his coaching staff by bringing in several trusted faces from Bournemouth. Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper join as first-team coaches, Pablo de la Torre arrives as assistant coach, while Tom Webber takes up the role of first-team tactical analyst. The new-look coaching team will oversee Liverpool’s three-match pre-season tour of the United States.
The Reds will take on Sunderland in Nashville on July 25, Wrexham at New York’s Yankee Stadium on July 29, and Leeds United in Chicago on August 2. They will then return to Anfield for friendlies against Monaco and Como before kicking off the Premier League campaign away to Newcastle on August 23.
Iraola, however, will not have his full squad available from day one. Five players are set to miss the opening stages of pre-season after featuring at the World Cup. Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo are all unavailable following the Netherlands’ exit in the last 32, while Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak are also still on their post-tournament break.
Under FIFA regulations introduced in July 2025, players are entitled to a minimum 21-day off-season break, along with at least 72 hours of rest between matches. Although clubs can manage the rest period according to their schedules, Liverpool traditionally honours the full three-week break. As a result, the five players are expected to rejoin the squad during the club’s tour of the United States.
Meanwhile, Alisson Becker, Alexis Mac Allister and new signing Victor Munoz remain involved in the World Cup with Brazil, Argentina and Spain respectively.
Liverpool’s travelling squad is also expected to feature several promising academy talents eager to impress the new manager, including Will Wright, Kieran Morrison, Joshua Abe and Trey Nyoni.
Potential Liverpool pre-season squad
Goalkeepers: Giorgi Mamardashvili, Freddie Woodman, Armin Pecsi, Kornel Misciur, Harvey Davies.
Defenders: Joe Gomez, Jeremie Frimpong, Jeremy Jacquet, Giovanni Leoni, Milos Kerkez, Kostas Tsimikas, Mor Talla Ndiaye, Amara Nallo, Wellity Lucky, Calvin Ramsay, Luke Chambers, Owen Beck.
Midfielders: Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, Trey Nyoni, Stefan Bajcetic, James McConnell.
Forwards: Rio Ngumoha, Federico Chiesa, Will Wright, Jayden Danns, Lewis Koumas, Keyrol Figueroa, Kieran Morrison, Kaide Gordon and Joshua Abe.
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