Liverpool were hard at work on Friday as they prepared for the resumption of Premier League football this weekend.
Top of the table after 11 games of 2024-25, Arne Slot’s men travel to Southampton on Sunday (2pm GMT kick-off) seeking to pick up where they left off before the November international period.What a header!”
Virgil van Dijk was clearly keeping tabs on his teammates’ exploits during the international window.
As the squad reconvened for club duties at the AXA Training Centre, our cameras captured the Liverpool captain acknowledging Andy Robertson’s excellent stoppage-time header to give Scotland a 2-1 win at Poland at the beginning of the week.
“What a header,” said Van Dijk, before suggesting in jest that Robertson had his eyes closed as he thundered his finish past the goalkeeper at the far post.
The left-back was having none of it.
“No, no! Bullet!” he insisted.How’s your luck…
In keeping with the chilly temperatures on Merseyside for much of this week, it was an overcast day weather-wise around the AXA Training Centre on Friday.
Following the previous snowy conditions in the area, rain and hail was intermittently falling over Kirkby from the early hours and throughout.
The worst of the downpour, though, coincided with Arne Slot’s squad heading out for their pre-Southampton session shortly after noon.
To say the heavens opened would be an understatement… not that Jayden Danns was bothered
“I overheat, I get too hot!” the 18-year-old protested.
As the players were pulling on tracksuit jackets and pants before emerging from the boot area to the rain-swept pitches, Danns was an outlier.
Shirt and shorts only for the Academy attacker.
Much to the shock and bemusement of Ibrahima Konate and Ryan Gravenberch. “Bro, don’t tell me you will train like that?” the former questioned as he wrapped himself up against the elements. “You are crazy.”Harvey’s back…
Harvey Elliott is back in full training with the Reds having been sidelined with a foot injury since early September.
“We have to give him time for this [getting back to his best] as well, but I am very fortunate that he is back, especially with the amount of games coming up in the upcoming two, three or four months,” said head coach Slot.
And Elliott looked in good nick during Friday’s session as he nears a first appearance for the club since August 25.
Not least when we filmed the No.19 dispatching the same finish into the same corner four times in a row…
And Chiesa keeps up work…
Summer signing Federico Chiesa, meanwhile, is continuing to build up his fitness ahead of a return to match action.
That included involvement alongside his teammates in this session, with the Italy international back on the grass as part of the team’s activities.
Fellow forward Diogo Jota was also pictured at the facility as his own rehabilitation progresses.
“They are all expected to be back within now and a few weeks, but the last part of the recovery is always the most difficult one,” Slot had told the media earlier in the day of the players working towards comebacks. “So, let’s wait and see.”
Chiesa will be particularly itching to pull on the shirt again soon, having last done so on September 25.
