Liverpool’s 2023/24 season has officially started after the first of the Reds’ senior stars reported to the AXA Training Centre on Saturday for the start of pre-season training.
The club already confirmed last week that Liverpool’s eight senior players who hadn’t been called up for international duty would all report back this weekend. Sure enough, Adrian, Stefan Bajcetic, Fabinho, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Darwin Nunez, Nat Phillips and Thiago Alcantara were all pictured at the Reds’ training ground complex as pre-season preparations got underway.
And while Thiago wasn’t pictured in training wear or taking part in any exercises, having seen his campaign ended prematurely by hip surgery, the other seven stars were all snapped being checked over by club staff before getting to work in the gym and/or out on the pitch.
As a result, Bajcetic has made his return from injury, after missing the end of his breakout campaign with an abductor issue, as he was pictured both in the gym and performing ball exercises out on the pitch. Meanwhile, Calvin Ramsay also made his own return from injury following knee surgery, having started pre-season with the Reds, as agreed, ahead of linking up with loan club Preston North End on June 15.
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The Scotland international wasn’t the only previously undisclosed player pictured back at the AXA Training Centre on Saturday, with Academy goalkeeper Jakub Ojrzynski also snapped in the gym after spending last season on loan with Radomiak Radom in his native Poland.
Liverpool’s international senior stars, including summer signings Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, are due to report for pre-season training on Tuesday (July 11), with the exception of Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott. The pair both featured for England as they won the European Under-21 Championship on Saturday, and will join up at a later date as a result. Academy goalkeeper Vítezslav Jaros could also return at a later date, having represented the Czech Republic in the tournament.
The Reds’ first pre-season friendly takes place in Germany against Karlsruher SC on Wednesday, July 19, with Klopp’s men then taking on Greuther Furth on July 24. Clashes with Leicester City and Bayern Munich will then follow in Singapore on July 30 and August 2 respectively, before a final pre-season friendly on home soil against SV Darmstadt 98 at Preston North End’s Deepdale Stadium on August 7.
As is always the case in pre-season, a number of Liverpool youngsters are expected to be with the first team for their trips to Germany and Singapore. And while not pictured on Saturday, the Reds’ under-21s and under-18s sides both reported back to the AXA Training Centre earlier in the week for the start of their own pre-season preparations, with a number of the club’s younger players posting updates on social media following their returns to training.
The ECHO understands that the likes of Ben Doak and Bobby Clark were both part of the Academy group ahead of expected involvement with the first team in the weeks ahead. Tyler Morton was not with the group, however, having seen his season-long loan at Blackburn Rovers ended by a fractured metatarsal, with the midfielder believed to still be completing his rehabilitation.
Despite Morton’s absence, a near-enough full quota of Academy players were believed to have been back at the AXA Training Centre last week, including Luke Chambers following a successful half-season loan stint at Kilmarnock, despite recent transfer links with Bayer Leverkusen. Club sources suggest that a move to the Bundesliga is not close yet, despite recent reports in Germany, with the Reds traditionally giving younger players the opportunity to impress in pre-season before deciding if they will be promoted to the first team, remain at youth level, or depart on loan.
Academy striker Paul Glatzel was also part of the younger group at the AXA Training Centre after an injury-plagued three years, despite his contract expiring at the end of last season. Liverpool confirmed in the club’s retained list that the 22-year-old had been offered a new deal, with it unclear whether he has accepted an extension at this time.
Having seen a season-long loan move to Newport County ended prematurely by a season-ending hamstring injury in February, Adam Lewis is also back at the AXA Training Centre.
Despite reports suggesting he was also out of contract this summer, the 23-year-old remains under contract at Anfield. He revealed in January that he actually has two years left on his contract, having last signed an extension in the summer of 2020, but club sources expect him to get another move, either on loan or permanently, this summer.
However, one youth player who will not be reporting back to the AXA Training Centre is Kerron Samuels. The 16-year-old, who joined Liverpool from Chelsea as an Under-14s player, made nine appearances for the Reds’ Under-18s side last season, but has confirmed on Instagram that he has completed a summer move to fellow Premier League outfit Brentford.
Another player heading out the club is Elijah Gift. As first reported by the ECHO, he has now joined Athletic Bilbao.
