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Liverpool’s players were back on the training field at Kirkby on Friday ahead of the Reds Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest.
After a damaging 3-0 loss to Manchester City that left them eight points behind the leaders Arsenal heading into the international break, Arne Slot's side are in need of a strong response after winning just one in the last five Premier League games.
Despite the pressure, morale appeared positive as 20 players took part in the open session. Players arrived gradually before completing a short warm-up and then moving into a series of high-intensity mini-games.
Here are four things Liverpool.com spotted from the session.
Who was involved?
Florian Wirtz and Conor Bradley were notably among the absentees. Slot confirmed in his pre-match press conference that both are set to miss out after picking up muscle injuries during the international break
Alisson trained fully and is set to make his first start since the trip to Galatasaray in September, with Giorgi Mamardashvili dropping back to the bench.
Slot also revealed on Friday that Andy Robertson (due to private reasons) and Joe Gomez had missed Thursday’s session, but both took part in training on the eve of the game, easing any concerns over their availability.
High spirits despite recent struggles
Despite sitting eight points behind Arsenal, the mood was positive. The squad looked relaxed yet focused, with plenty of encouragement, communication, and flashes of humor between players.
The atmosphere suggested a group intent on returning to winning ways after a bruising run of form.
Intense mini-games set the tone
The focus of the session was on sharp, high-intensity mini-games centred on pressing, quick passing, and transition work.
The tempo was relentless, with the coaching staff pushing players to replicate match-like urgency—something Liverpool lacked in its defeat to Manchester City.
Full-back patterns tested
The session experiment with a variety of attacking combinations, encouraging quick one-twos and creative movements in the final third to unlock compact defenses.
With the absence of Bradley, Slot could be seen trialing different right-back options across each small team.
Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones and Wataru Endo were all seen in a full-back position with the Dutchman seemingly using the session to decide who would be the best option to operate the right flank against Sean Dyche's side.
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