Liverpool’s summer preparations have been far from straightforward as the Reds continue their pre-season tour of Asia.
Saturday’s 4-2 friendly defeat to AC Milan in Hong Kong exposed some of the challenges Arne Slot faces managing his squad, with players missing for a combination of injury concerns, precautionary rest, and transfer speculation.
As the Dutchman’s side prepare for their final game of the Asian tour on Wednesday, the latest news from within the camp highlights additional concerns alongside a major boost.
Becker returns home for personal reasons
Alisson Becker has left Liverpool’s pre-season tour of Asia due to a personal matter and will rejoin the squad once they return to the UK. The Brazilian goalkeeper, who made his first appearance of the summer in Saturday’s 4-2 defeat to AC Milan, was absent from Tuesday’s open training session in sweltering conditions at the JFA Dream Field in Tokyo.
Liverpool have granted the 32-year-old permission to return home, meaning he will miss Wednesday’s final tour fixture against Yokohama F. Marinos at the Nissan Stadium and he becomes the third player to leave Liverpool’s Asia tour early.
Mac Allister back on the grass after a lengthy lay off
Alexis Mac Allister’s prolonged absence from action has been a cause for concern since the Argentine midfielder suffered a persistent injury in the closing months of last season.
The issue forced him to miss Liverpool’s final two Premier League fixtures of the 2024–25 season and prevented him from participating in Argentina’s recent World Cup qualifying matches against Chile and Colombia.
Despite these setbacks, Liverpool’s decision to include Mac Allister on their Asia tour was viewed positively, signalling that he was nearing a return to full fitness. This optimism was confirmed when the 26-year-old was pictured fully training with the squad in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Arne Slot has indicated the club’s cautious approach in managing the injury and prioritising long-term fitness over rushing him back when asked if he could feature on Wednesday.
“I’m not sure if he can play minutes in the game [on Wednesday] already.”
it is also an important boost as the season draws closer, with the new campaign kicking off next week when Liverpool play Crystal Palace at Wembley in the Community Shield.
Endo and Núñez rested as a precaution
Both Wataru Endo and Darwin Núñez, who had featured in earlier pre-season fixtures, were rested for the clash with AC Milan. Slot confirmed their absence was precautionary after both players experiencing illness and minor knocks.
Nunez, who scored during Liverpool’s first friendly win over Preston North End this month, continued his impressive summer form. The Uruguay international scored a hat-trick in behind closed door pre-season friendly vs Stoke City to make it four goals in two games.
Nunez’s goals come amid speculation surrounding his future with the 26-year-old linked with an exit and several Saudi Pro League sides interested in the forward.
As for Japanese international Endo, he was part of Monday’s session back in his homeland and would certainly be a popular inclusion in Liverpool’s squad if he is fit to take on Yokohama.
Slot confirmed that whilst the pair had slight knocks, their omission was more precautionary than a necessity.
“Núñez picked up a small injury, so we decided not to take any risks”
“Wataru trained well all week but also had a slight issue, and we felt it was better to give him some rest. We expect both to be ready for the next game against Yokohama F. Marinos.”
Gomez sent home after achilles injury
While some absences were precautionary, Joe Gomez’s situation is more concerning. The 28-year-old has flown back to Merseyside from Asia after suffering from achilles pain during the early stages of the tour.
Slot explained:
“He was with us for the first part of the week but had some problems with his Achilles. We thought it was better to assess it back in England and for him to work on his recovery there rather than travelling around with us.”
The club remains hopeful the issue is not severe, but Gomez’s injury record is a worry. His 2024–25 season ended abruptly when he was forced off just 11 minutes into Liverpool’s FA Cup defeat to Plymouth Argyle in February. Last season he made just 17 appearances across all competitions.
Díaz jets out to Germany as Bayern Munich move nears completion
Luis Díaz was another notable absentee from the Milan matchday squad but for very different reasons. The Reds winger, who has been heavily linked with a summer switch to Bayern Munich, did not feature due to “transfer speculation,” Slot admitted post-match.
The 28-year-old has now flown to Germany to undergo a medical as he closes in on a €75 million move to the Bundesliga champions. He said his goodbyes to teammates earlier in the day on Monday after three-and-a-half seasons at Anfield.
