How Liverpool squad could look after pre-season tour as transfer decisions made

Liverpool head out to the United States on Tuesday but they will look much stronger on their return to England

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot during a training session at AXA Training Centre

It may not have been the result the new Liverpool head coach wanted. But the Arne Slot era finally got underway in earnest with a 1-0 defeat to Championship side Preston North End on Friday.

And after the behind-closed-doors friendly at the AXA Training Centre, the Reds will now go public in front of packed stadiums in the United States for their friendlies against Spanish side Real Betis and Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester United.

Liverpool jet out on Tuesday to prepare for the first game in Pittsburgh at the end of the week, after which they will travel to Philadelphia and then South Carolina.

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Slot, though, will be missing some major names as he continues his preparations for the new Premier League campaign that begins on August 17 at promoted Ipswich Town.

While Dominik Szoboszlai, Andy Robertson and Vitezslav Jaros returned last Tuesday after representing their countries at the European Championships, the Reds’ other seven players at the tournament – along with the four involved at the Copa America – remain on their close-season break.

Of the 11 who have yet to return to training, two – Alisson Becker and Diogo Jota – could yet decide to join up with the squad in the States at a later date. However, the remainder are not expected back until the travelling party are in England and working at Kirkby once more.

Nat Phillips and Sepp van den Berg will make the trip to the United States although the former is available for sale and the latter made clear earlier this summer his desire to leave. A number of the youngsters who travel will subsequently drop down to the Academy sides.

And with no major incomings or outgoings mooted over the next fortnight, there is likely to be a familiar look to the squad when they are finally all back together in the week up to the final friendly against Sevilla at Anfield on August 11.

PROBABLE LIVERPOOL FIRST-TEAM SQUAD AFTER US TOUR

GOALKEEPERS: Alisson Becker, Caoimhin Kelleher, Vitezslav Jaros, Harvey Davies, Marcelo Pitaluga.

DEFENDERS: Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Jarell Quansah, Joe Gomez, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Bradley, Andy Robertson, Kostas Tsimikas, Owen Beck, Luke Chambers.

MIDFIELDERS: Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo, Stefan Bajcetic, Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai, Bobby Clark, Ryan Gravenberch, Tyler Morton.

FORWARDS: Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Fabio Carvalho, Ben Doak, Kaide Gordon.