Liverpool’s players and staff are set to return to training this week in subdue fashion, with eight new faces set to take in their first sessions at the AXA Training Centre
Liverpool return to training this week, but it’s anything but business as usual at the AXA Training Centre.
After the devastating loss of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, the club delayed the initial pre-season session set for Friday. Now, with heavy hearts, Arne Slot and his players begin what will be a very difficult pre-season — one that will require more emotional strength than ever.
The squad is expected to trickle in today. While Liverpool are still scheduled to play Preston on Sunday in their first pre-season match, that plan remains under review. The players will be consulted, and understandably, nothing will be rushed.
There’s no playbook for this kind of return. Slot faces one of the toughest moments of his early Liverpool reign — balancing the need to get the squad ready for the season, while also supporting a group still reeling from unimaginable grief.
Some players will join later. Harvey Elliott and Tyler Morton, fresh off their U21 Euros triumph with England, are getting a bit more time to rest. But for those arriving this week, the focus will be less on intensity and more on reconnecting.
And it’s not just returning faces reporting back. Six new signings are set to meet the squad for the first time. Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz, and Milos Kerkez will get their first taste of life under Slot, while three new goalkeepers also arrive at Kirkby.
With Caoimhin Kelleher now at Brentford and both Jaros and Davies out on loan, Alisson Becker suddenly finds himself the veteran of a new-look goalkeeping unit. Giorgi Mamardashvili, whose signing was agreed last summer, finally links up with the squad. He’ll be joined by Freddie Woodman, arriving on a free from Preston, and 20-year-old Armin Pecsi from Hungary’s Puskas Akademia.
On the staff side, there are more changes. Giovanni van Bronckhorst joins Slot’s backroom as assistant following John Heitinga’s departure to manage Ajax. Meanwhile, former Rafa Benitez-era coach Xavi Valero returns to take charge of the goalkeepers, filling the void left by Fabian Otte and Claudio Taffarel.
So yes, it’s a big week for Liverpool — but not in the usual sense. There’s a season to prepare for, new players to bed in, and tactics to implement. But above all, there’s a group of players and staff coming together after tragedy.
What happens next — including Sunday’s match — will depend on how the squad feels, and rightly so. The football can wait. For now, it’s about people, not points.