5 Things spotted from Liverpool training ahead of Monaco friendly 

Pre-season is a time of subtle indicators, and Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool offered plenty ofvaluable insights at the AXA Training Centre while preparing for Sunday’s friendly against AS Monaco, the penultimate dress rehearsal before the Premier League season kicks off.

The cameras, as always, missed nothing. Here's everything worth knowing from the session, from a new arrival announcing himself in style to a January-shaped headache at centre-back. 

1. Victor Muñoz wastes no time announcing himself 

Every Liverpool signing gets the "let's see it then" treatment on their first day, and Victor Muñoz didn't blink. The 23-year-old winger, who arrived for £34m from Osasuna this summer, went straight up against senior teammates and looked entirely unbothered by the occasion. 

The highlight: a lovely first touch inside from the left, Curtis Jones left behind, then a finish rifled past Alisson that suggested the World Cup winner is just as comfortable on his right foot as his left. For a manager who likes his wingers interchangeable across both flanks, that two-footed confidence could be integral.  

One session, obviously, proves nothing. But it's the kind of first impression that gets a fanbase leaning forward in its seat. 

2. A few academy names missing from first-team duty 

Not everyone who impressed on the pre-season US tour made the cut for training this time. Mor Talla Ndiaye, Josh Abe, Josh Sonni-Lambie, Will Wright, Bailey Hall and Callum Scanlon were all absent, a fairly clear signal they won't be involved for the Monaco and Como friendlies at Anfield. 

The flip side: Kieran Morrison, Luke Chambers and Lewis Koumas clearly did enough stateside to earn a longer look. All three trained with the senior group and look set to feature against Monaco on Sunday. 

3. The defensive picture still isn't pretty 

Liverpool spent big this summer, but almost all of it went on non-defensive options, which leaves the back line as the one area still generating nervous glances. 

There was good news on Jeremie Frimpong, back in full training after being pulled early from the Leeds friendly in the US, which should calm any fears of a serious issue.  

Less reassuring is that new signing Jeremy Jacquet, who missed the entire US tour and was absent again here, leaving real doubts over his readiness for the season opener. 

With only Virgil van Dijk and the still-green Luke Chambers on show at centre-back, Iraola's options look thin. If Joe Gomez, Giovanni Leoni and Jacquet aren't ready in time, don't be shocked to see a midfielder like Wataru Endo or Ryan Gravenberch dropping into defence again, a stopgap Liverpool fans know all too well. Sunday's game against Monaco should tell us plenty about how Iraola plans to paper over the cracks. 

4. Florian Wirtz Looks Like a Man Reborn 

If one clip is going the rounds on Kopite group chats, it's this one. Florian Wirtz's first season under Arne Slot was a £116m rollercoaster with moments of genuine brilliance undercut by a player who never quite looked settled amongst the physicality of the Premier League. 

This footage tells a different story. Wirtz looks sharper, more direct, and considerably more sure of himself, taking players on, picking his moment, and finishing with the kind of nonchalance that had shades of Roberto Firmino, including one outrageous no-look finish. 

 If confidence really was the missing ingredient after his Bundesliga dominance, this is exactly the sign Liverpool fans have been waiting for. 

5. Van Dijk and Alisson's Embrace Says It All 

Before the drills even started, cameras caught Virgil van Dijk and Alisson sharing a warm embrace, the kind of moment that means little in isolation but says everything about eight years of shared history at the club. 

With Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah both gone, the picture takes on extra weight. It looks increasingly like this pairing between the captain and, depending on Iraola's final call, a vice-captaincy battle between Alisson and Dominik Szoboszlai, will be asked to carry even more leadership through a squad still finding its shape. With defensive depth thin and the transfer window still shuffling in and out, that experience at the top of the group has rarely mattered more. 

Liverpool face Monaco on Sunday in their penultimate pre-season fixture before the Premier League campaign begins on Friday 21st August . 

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