Liverpool confirm their initial 31-man traveling squad for the 2026/27 US tour.
The post-Arne Slot era is officially underway at Liverpool. It feels like a completely fresh start under new boss Andoni Iraola.
Pre-season training kicked off in earnest on Tuesday. Fifteen fit senior players reported for duty, while five others are currently stuck in the treatment room.
The sports science staff dominated week one with fitness testing and gym work, but Iraola will be desperate to get the footballs out as soon as possible. He has a very specific, high-intensity style, and with a squad needing a massive lift after the disappointment of last season, every minute on the grass counts.
The hard work moves from Merseyside to the US today as a 31-man squad boards a flight to Chicago for a crucial two-week tour.
The Reds have three big friendlies lined up across America
The Reds open their American adventure against Premier League side Sunderland at Nashville’s GEODIS Park this Saturday, July 25.
From there, it is a high-profile clash against Wrexham at the iconic Yankee Stadium in New York on Wednesday, July 29, before wrapping up at Soldier Field in Chicago against Leeds United on Friday, August 2.
For American fans, it is a brilliant chance to see the team up close.
Club legends like Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler, Phil Thompson, and Tash Dowie are also making the trip for fan events and meet-and-greets. Once the US tour wraps up, the squad will head back to Merseyside for final friendly matches against AS Monaco and Como before the Premier League season starts on the weekend of August 22 where they travel to face Newcastle United August Sunday 23rd (4.30pm).
Waiting on the star power
The big frustration for Iraola is that his initial travelling squad is missing a lot of key players who are still on holiday after the World Cup. Luckily, reinforcements are coming soon. Florian Wirtz is expected back around July 21, while Ryan Gravenberch, Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, and Alexander Isak are due on July 22. Alisson Becker will follow on July 27.
Gravenberch, Wirtz, and Isak are actually scheduled to fly straight out to the US. They will miss the opening match against Sunderland, but they should be ready to play against Wrexham and Leeds. Meanwhile, Alexis Mac Allister and Victor Munoz won't be back until next month after their countries made it all the way to the World Cup final and Spain went on to win and become World Champions after defeating Argentina 1-0.
Big pressure on the £100m signings
Let’s be honest: last season was a disaster by Liverpool's standards. This year is all about making amends, and that is especially true for Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.
Both arrived last year with massive £100m+ price tags, and both fell way short of expectations. With forward Hugo Ekitike sidelined with an Achilles injury until Christmas, the pressure is on Isak to lead the line. Iraola needs the Swedish striker fit and scoring from day one.
Last season was incredibly painful to watch. We looked totally out of gas and out of ideas. Supporters are excited to see what Iraola can do, but the schedule has done him no favours.
It’s hard to build a proper team when your best players are turning up late to pre-season in dribs and drabs. That said, Wirtz and Isak owe us a massive season.
No more excuses about settling in they need to see why the club spent a quarter of a billion pounds on them. It’s great to see young lads like Rio Ngumoha getting a chance on the tour, but the senior players need to step up.
With so many senior stars still away, Iraola has picked a youthful, interesting mix of first-team regulars, returning loanees, and academy prospects for the flight to Chicago.
The selected goalkeepers are Mamardashvili, Woodman, Jaros, and Davies.
The defensive options include Gomez, Kerkez, Jacquet, Bradley, Leoni, Tsimikas, Frimpong, Chambers, Ramsay, Scanlon, and W. Wright.
In midfield, the traveling group consists of Endo, Szoboszlai, Jones, Elliott, Nyoni, Bajcetic, McConnell, Morrison, and Hall.
The attacking options feature Chiesa, Ekitike, Abe, Koumas, Ngumoha, Sonni-Lambie, and Ndukwe. Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, and Hugo Ekitike are traveling specifically to continue their injury rehabilitation, while Jayden Danns stays behind on Merseyside to manage his fitness.
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