5 things we spotted from Liverpool training ahead of Leeds clash

Liverpool live streamed their open training in Chicago on the 31st of July ahead of the final pre-season game against Leeds today in Chicago, and here are the five main things we took away from it:

5 - Coaches were involved in every aspect

Andoni Iraola and his staff really seem to be implementing exactly what they expect and require from the squad.

Througout the open session, it was clear to see them answering questions in detail, ensuring full understanding of what was being discussed before moving on or continuing the session.

Liverpool prospect Kieran Morrison highlighted this after scoring the opener against Sunderland:

"He's taught me different playing styles, he's telling me things I've never heard of before, and it's obviously paying off."

Having a Liverpool fan in Tommy Elphick (first-team coach), who turned down several managerial roles to follow Iraola to Liverpool, will only help in implementing this philosophy of intensity and total understanding.

4 - A change in intensity

Arne Slot's reign at Liverpool started with the notion that his methods were far less intense than those of his predecessor Jürgen Klopp. For a while, it worked a treat.

The players were just as fit as they were under Klopp, and injuries were less frequent due to the change in the demands on the players. The combination of residual Klopp intensity, a Mohamed Salah masterclass and Slot's tactics brought Liverpool their 20th title.

However, alongside many other factors, the drop in the expectations on the players was evident by Slot's second season. Liverpool, after 33 games last season, were outrun in 29 of them.

For context, this did also happen under Klopp. In 2021-22 the Reds were outrun in 26 of 38 league matches but there was an intensity and press from the front that made that team so formidable.

This looks to be coming back. Andoni Iraola and his staff have got the players hard at work in the US, which will no doubt continue on their return to Merseyside.

3 - Bajčetić returns

Stefan Bajčetić is a player many Liverpool fans have been waiting to see for a while.

Joining the club in 2020 from Celta Vigo, he made his first team debut in 2022 during a 9-0 win over Bournemouth.

During the 2022-23 season the Spaniard featured several times, across the EFL Cup, Premier League and in the Champions League.

Several stand-out performances led him to being voted Liverpool's player of the month for January. However, an adductor injury in March sidelined him for the rest of the season.

A calf injury in the 2023/24 season kept Bajčetić out for 193 days, and after a disappointing loan at RB Salzburg in 2024-25, he was loaned to Las Palmas. In May 2025, he had to have surgery on his hamstring which has kept him out for (so far) 446 days.

It has been more than two years since he played for the first team and 13 months since his last game.

But, many are still hopeful that the midfielder can return to the same levels he showed in the 2022-23 season. His return may also mean that Liverpool do not have to dip into the market for a midfielder this summer.

And provided there are no further set-backs, Bajčetić could become a dependable member of the squad.

2 - Two centre-backs still missing

It's been said several times across many seasons, but Liverpool are frighteningly light on defensive depth this year. At the moment, captain Virgil van Dijk is the only fully fit first team centre-back.

And he played 6,141 across 69 appearances for club and country last season. At 35 years old.

Prior to Jeremy Jacquet, Liverpool's last first team signing at centre-back was Ibrahima Konate in 2021.

Giovanni Leoni was signed last season, but joining at 18-years-old meant he wasn't expected to start alongside van Dijk.

The Italian unfortunately injured his ACL in September 2025, so is unlikely to feature for another month or so at least. Jacquet has also not been risked during the pre-season tour following his shoulder injury in January of this year.

If reports from Italy are to be believed, Fikayo Tomori could be making the move to Merseyside to provide back up, but nothing concrete has come out since.

It remains to be seen who will partner Liverpool's captain against Newcastle on the first day of the season, but with two more pre-season fixtures at Anfield to come, we will have more of an idea soon.

1 - Isak's sharpness

It's not hard to admit last season was a disappointment for many, but Alexander Isak will be more disappointed than most.

Signing for a new club for the British-record fee of £125 million, only for the club to be rocked by tragedy that same summer and then suffering a fractured ankle and fibula which kept him out for 106 days was a nightmare start.

Add in the fact he had no 'real' pre-season, it wasn't the best start to his Liverpool career. However, coming off the back of a successful World Cup with four G/A in four games, the Swede looks to be back to his old self.

Isak scored a lovely lofted finish in training, and the Swede was in good spirits alongside Florian Wirtz.

The pair are in for a big season - with Hugo Ekitiké's absence, the departure of Salah, and maybe even Cody Gakpo, they will have a lot of responsibility on their shoulders to propel the Reds back to where they belong.

Tune in at 9pm BST tonight to watch Liverpool's final game of the US Tour against Leeds.

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