Liverpool FC have Stefan Bajcetic and Thiago Alcantara back in full training, but neither will be involved at Chelsea for the season opener on Sunday. Both missed the entirety of this pre-season as they recovered from groin injuries that ended their 2022/23 seasons early.
With Alexis Mac Allister also having recovered fully, from the knock on his knee, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has no fresh injury concerns for the weekend curtain raiser.
However, there are still major roster concerns, and Anfield has a lot of work to do this summer transfer window.
Captain Jordan Henderson, as well as Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita, Fabinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner have all departed. The only incomings, to try and offset all that, are Alexis McAllister and Dominik Szoboszlai.
It’s raising concern among the LFC community and their fan base.
I can definitely understand it in some ways but I’m not a very negative person,” said the new team captain Virgil van Dijk, when he was queried about Liverpool supporter anxiety.
“Obviously, when a lot of players are leaving, when your captain is leaving, your vice-captain is leaving, and at the moment, there are only two incomings. And the way we have been playing, in possession really good but defensively when you concede goals it’s not as good, I can understand some people having doubts.”
There will likely, or at least probably, be more deals done between now and when the window closes on Friday, Sept. 1.
Southampton star Romeo Lavia has been heavily linked, and perhaps that deal gets over the line soon.
“Let’s see if more players are coming in and then we have to be ready again for a long season. It will be very tough if we look at the teams around us, but we want to be up there again, we want to be challenging again,” Van Dijk continued.
“We have to be confident, we should be confident, and we should still be learning each and every day. There have been characters leaving, players who have played a big part in the success, but others have to step up. That’s a nice challenge in my opinion. We should be excited.”
