5 things spotted in Liverpool training as Luis Diaz bids farewell and replacement already emerges

2 weeks ago 91

Liverpool's tour of Asia is in its final leg with the Reds now in Japan after last week's excursion to Hong Kong, and the players have taken in their first training session in Tokyo ahead of their latest pre-season game on Wednesday.

Arne Slot's side takes on Yokohama F Marinos in just a couple of days, with the visitors aiming to bounce back following Saturday's defeat to AC Milan.

Having missed some players through injury at the weekend, it looks as though Liverpool should be at their full complement following their latest session, with one player in particular making a very welcome return to training. There was one very notable absentee though.

Here's everything we spotted during the Reds' training session in Tokyo on Monday.

Diaz bids farewell

Not pictured during the latest training session for obvious reasons, Luis Diaz is now on his way to Germany to complete his $87 million move to Bayern Munich.

The writing looked to be on the wall when he didn't feature in Saturday's game against Bayern Munich, and so it has proved, with the winger saying his farewells to his teammates before leaving Tokyo.

The Colombian will be much missed by players and fans alike, although Slot does look to have an exciting replacement waiting in the wings...

Replacement ready

Rio Ngumoha continues to impress with every appearance he makes for Liverpool's first team. Even making another step up against AC Milan, he didn't look out of place in any sense.

Still aged 16 and only eligible for a professional contract when he turns 17 next month, Slot will no doubt want to stay cautious with him. Throwing him into the thick of next season's Premier League or Champions League campaigns would be a big risk, but given what we've seen of him so far, he should get more playing time in the new season.

Ryan Gravenberch and Rio Ngumoha during Monday's training session

Ryan Gravenberch and Rio Ngumoha during Monday's training session

It will be interesting to see what Liverpool does now that Diaz is gone, especially if a move for Alexander Isak is on the cards. That may well see Hugo Ekitike double up as an option on the left.

But with Ngumoha becoming more and more a staple of senior training, the Reds may already have their long-term replacement for Diaz in place.

Mac Allister boost

It's been a long wait to see Alexis Mac Allister back training alongside his teammates, but finally, we have our first glimpse of him in proper training this summer.

Such an important part of last season's title-winning side, having a fit Mac Allister will be a huge boost to Slot with just over a couple of weeks to go until the new campaign gets underway.

Hugo Ekitike and Alexis Mac Allister

Hugo Ekitike and Alexis Mac Allister were both involved in Monday's training session

Whether he will play a part in Wednesday's friendly against Yokohama remains to be seen, but given today was his first session back, it would make sense if Slot chose not to risk him in a game yet.

The Argentine did show his usual tenacity during training, suggesting he might be more ready for a return to action than people might have expected. In any case, it's so good to see him back.

Ekitike in the mix

One player we should hopefully see on Wednesday is Ekitike, with the Reds' newest signing taking in his second training session today.

Obviously, you can't really judge him yet based on these two outings, but the Frenchman does look to be integrating himself well with his new teammates.

Hugo Ekitike shoots during training

Hugo Ekitike shoots during training

Pictures from training showed him skipping past Conor Bradley and dealing well with Mac Allister's attempts to dispossess him, while also getting his shooting boots on while coming under pressure from Tyler Morton and Virgil van Dijk.

We'll see how he gets on in his first game on Wednesday, when he will hopefully demonstrate that he's already forming an understanding with his new teammates on the pitch.

Nunez dilemma

Ekitike's arrival does leave a a rather big question mark over Darwin Nunez now. Along with Diaz, he is the player that was perhaps most expected to depart at some point this summer among the Reds' touring party.

Having missed Saturday's game against Milan, it did initially appear like an exit might be on the cards, although Slot did reveal afterwards that he had been carrying an injury.

While Diaz had departed by the time Monday's session rolled around, Nunez was back in training as usual, but it will be interesting to see what exactly Slot does with him now.

Will he be left out again in anticipation of him moving, or will he get another chance to add to his four goals so far in pre-season? Whatever the outcome, it might tell us a lot about the remainder of the summer.

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