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Liverpool’s players trained at the club's Kirkby base on Tuesday ahead of the midweek Champions League trip to Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Reds are desperate to pick up three points following four consecutive defeats in all competitions, the last of which came at home against Manchester United on Sunday.
Despite that, spirits seemed high in Tuesday’s session as 22 players were involved in the open training. After emerging in drips and drabs, the squad went through a quick warm-up before heading over for a keep-ball drill. Liverpool.com was among the media outlets present, and here are five things we noticed from the session.
Who was involved?
The biggest talking point surrounded personnel, and anyone who may be missing.
Worryingly, Ryan Gravenberch was among the absentees. The midfielder was replaced in the latter stages of Sunday’s defeat, and Arne Slot said in the immediate aftermath that his Dutch compatriot would need to be assessed.
Given his omission from training, it looks unlikely Gravenberch will be part of the travelling squad. But Wataru Endo, a former Bundlesiga player, could play some part back in Germany. The Japan international was back in training after missing the defeat against United at the weekend with a knock.
Positive update
Along with Gravenberch, Giovanni Leoni and Alisson were the only senior players who missed the session, with both injured. However, there was a positive update on the latter’s progress, with Alisson spotted through the glass windows at the AXA Training Centre, undergoing individual work.
The goalkeeper hasn’t played since he sustained a hamstring injury in Liverpool’s Champions League defeat against Galatasaray, and Slot said on Friday that Alisson would not be available this week. While it was difficult to say how vigorous his session was, the fact that the 33-year-old is working in the gym on his rehabilitation hopefully means a return will not be far away.
Leading from the front
Virgil van Dijk was among those criticized after Sunday’s defeat: a rarity in his Liverpool career.
Never one to shy away from his responsibilities, it was interesting to note that after a brief group huddle at the start of training, the captain sprinted off towards where the warm-ups were held, leading his Liverpool teammates in that direction.
All smiles... eventually
Media-trained Premier League stars are fully aware that the cameras are on them during these open training sessions. If there are any issues, they can be resolved when the press have departed.
Yet, during a sprinting drill, there was a brief moment when the assembled journalists wondered whether Andy Roberson was venting his frustrations. He was judged to have lost his individual race by Liverpool’s coaches and wasn’t shy in expressing his disagreement with the decision.
Robertson shook his head, grimaced and, after a second of wondering whether the Scotland captain was genuinely annoyed, his face broke into a grin, followed by a burst of laughter. Unsurprisingly, it was another of the left-back’s jokes, of course!
Looking sharp
The keep-ball drills in these sessions are remarkable. The speed at which the ball is fizzed across the turf could cause whiplash for onlookers as they try to keep track of the ball.
That was the case during the few minutes the media saw of Tuesday’s training, and there didn’t seem to be a single mistake made by the players. Robertson, Conor Bradley, and Rio Ngumoha looked particularly sharp on this occasion.
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