After what has felt like an age, Liverpool will be back in Premier League action in just a couple of days. Three and a half weeks after beating Southampton at Anfield, the Reds will host Everton.
Five wins and a draw is the maximum that Liverpool needs from its final nine games of the campaign to get over the line in the title race, with Arsenal currently 12 points behind. It’s not done yet, but it is edging closer.
Here’s what we spotted in the Liverpool training session that Arne Slot oversaw in Kirkby. One midfielder made a return, while another couple of players were in training having sat out games for their countries during the international break.
Ryan Gravenberch and Alisson boost as Tyler Morton returns
As expected, Liverpool duo Ryan Gravenberch and Alisson Becker were both involved in today’s training session. The former returned home early from international duty with a knock while the latter picked up a head injury in Brazil’s first game and then sat out its second because of concussion protocols.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Conor Bradley both remain out while Joe Gomez was spotted training alone. None are back in team training yet, meaning that Jarell Quansah is likely to be the man deployed at right-back, as he did against Newcastle United at Wembley last time out.
Having been out with a shoulder injury, Liverpool midfielder Tyler Morton was spotted taking part in the session with his teammates. While a move away would make sense in the summer, he will hope to make another appearance before then.
(Image: Getty Images)
Harvey Elliott and Federico Chiesa out to impress
With Liverpool edging closer to securing the Premier League title, there should be a chance for some fringe players to get a chance before the campaign ends. Harvey Elliott and Federico Chiesa, were all smiles here and the pair will be hoping to show what they can do in games — not just in training — in the next couple of months.
Neither has played as often as they would have liked under Slot so far. With free midweeks between games (after the derby), they will get opportunities in training to catch the eye. What they produce could be instructive come the summer when big transfer decisions lie ahead.
(Image: Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool all smiles inside and out
After some indoor work, the Liverpool players headed out onto the grass. Strength and conditioning is important, of course, but the session looked much more fun and enjoyable with the balls out.
Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson shared a joke while Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah looked relaxed amid the wait for news on their contracts. Slot was happy to be back with his players, too, with the Reds boss keeping a close eye on the session.
After facing Everton on Wednesday, Liverpool will then take on Fulham at Craven Cottage at the weekend. Arsenal plays both of those teams this week as well, with the Gunners holding very faint hopes of catching up before the campaign ends.
