Following tonight’s clash against Arsenal in Philadelphia, Liverpool currently have two more pre-season friendlies scheduled, although another date could yet be added to the list.
Once the Reds return home after facing Manchester United in South Carolina this coming weekend, they’ll be preparing for an Anfield date against Sevilla on 11 August.
However, as reported by Paul Gorst for the Liverpool Echo, LFC are ‘in talks’ over a potential fixture against another LaLiga club in Las Palmas the day before, which is likely to be played behind closed doors if it is confirmed.
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With Arne Slot still waiting for numerous first-team players to return after their prolonged involvement at Euro 2024 or the Copa America, he’ll currently have just one friendly game to work with some of his squad before the Premier League season begins.
That’s believed to be the primary motivation behind the rumoured attempts to organise another game on 10 August.
While the prospect of playing two friendly matches in 24 hours might seem perplexing, we actually don’t have to go back too far for a precedent – three years ago, Liverpool faced two other Spanish clubs (Athletic Bilbao and Osasuna) on consecutive days in pre-season.
On that occasion, Jurgen Klopp deployed two entirely different starting line-ups, and the only players to feature in both games were youngsters who didn’t start either match.
If the proposed game against Las Palmas on 10 August is confirmed, Slot will likely adopt a similar selection strategy, striking the right balance between not overworking his squad and being able to assess as many individuals as possible, particularly those who’ve yet to return from their holidays.
Even if two completely different teams are fielded, the risk attached to adding another fixture is that the chances of someone getting injured could increase – Andy Robertson hobbled out of the aforementioned Athletic Bilbao clash in 2021.
However, it seems that’s a chance that Liverpool are willing to take in order to maximise the head coach’s opportunities to assess his players ahead of his first season in carge of the Reds, with his introduction to the Premier League now just 17 days away.
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