6 days ago
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Liverpool is back in training at the AXA Training Centre ahead of Sunday's Community Shield against Crystal Palace, the 2025 FA Cup winners after shocking Manchester City 1-0.
The Reds are fresh off a pair of wins over Athletic Bilbao at Anfield on Monday. Virgil van Dijk (illness), Alisson Becker (personal), Joe Gomez (Achilles injury), and Conor Bradley ("minor injury") all missed both contests.
Van Dijk was back in training on Thursday and figures to feature against Palace, while the other three all missed out. Another familiar face missing: Darwin Nunez. The Uruguayan is on his way to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hillal.
Van Dijk returns
“Unfortunately, Virgil is sick today," Slot said on Sunday, as Van Dijk missed Sunday's contest, Liverpool's last before competitive matches start.
The club captain returned to training on Thursday and looks his imperious self. He will likely partner with fellow centerback Ibrahima Konate on Sunday against Palace.
The Reds are notably light on centerback coverage behind the top two, especially with the oft-injured Gomez once again absent. Don't be surprised if the club make a late-summer push for a discount defensive option.
Elliott ignoring transfer speculation
Attacking midfielder/winger Harvey Elliott was the subject of "£40 million ($53.6M) plus a buy-back option, or above £50M ($67M) without one" transfer to German side RB Leipzig this week, per The Athletic. He remains in training with the club and wants to be part of Slot's long-term plans.
Elliott featured in the first game against Bilbao, scoring on what may potentially be his last game at Anfield in a Reds shirt. The boyhood Liverpool fan joined the club on a tribunal from Fulham in 2019.
The 22-year-old started only three Premier League games last year for the champions. He improved his stock this summer by winning the UEFA European Under-21 Championship Player of the Tournament with England this summer.
Interseting training tactics
Jeremie Frimpong, Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz, Federico Chiesa, and Andy Robertson participated in an interesting route-running drill on Thursday. At the end of it, they had to catch a ball.
Slot has integrated a handful of interesting training techniques since joining the English giants from the Netherlands. Most members of the Liverpool squad probably aren't too shocked; after all, many spent time working under the eccentric Jurgen Klopp.
Mamardashvili ready to deputize the absent Alisson
Alisson Becker was once again absent from training on Thursday with a personal matter: the Brazilian former Yashin trophy winner also missed both Bilbao fixtures on Monday.
If he can't play on Sunday, 2024 signing Giorgi Mamardashvili (pictured above) from Valencia will make his competitive Liverpool debut against Crystal Palace.
Last Mac standing
Argentine midfielder Alexis Mac Allister seemed to be all smiles at the AXA Training Centre on Thursday. This is a good sign considering the club just sold two of his closest friends in the squad.
Both Luis Diaz (January 2022) and Darwin Nunez (July 2022) joined Liverpool over a year before the mercurial Argentine international signed for the Reds in June of 2023. He proved to be the last one standing, though Liverpool will have to be careful of potential interest from Real Madrid.
Slot has experimented moving fellow midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai into a deeper role this preseason, potentially challenging Mac Allister's regular spot in the team next to Ryan Gravenberch.
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