What Liverpool’s squad could look like after the pre-season tour as the transfer wait continues

It may not have been the result Liverpool’s new head coach wanted. But the Arne Slot era finally began with a 1-0 defeat at Championship side Preston North End on Friday.

And after the closed-door friendly at the AXA Training Centre, the Reds will now go public in front of packed stadiums across the United States for friendlies against Spanish side Real Betis and Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester United.

Liverpool left on Tuesday to prepare for their first game in Pittsburgh at the end of the week, after which they will travel to Philadelphia and then South Carolina.

Slot, however, will be missing some big names as he continues his preparations for the new Premier League campaign which begins on August 17 at promoted Ipswich Town.

While Dominik Szoboszlai, Andy Robertson and Vitezslav Jaros returned last Tuesday after representing their countries at the European Championships, the Reds’ other seven players from the tournament – along with the four involved in the Copa America – remain on the season.

Of the 11 not yet back in training, two – Alisson Becker and Diogo Jota – could decide to join the States’ squad at a later date. However, the rest are not expected to return until the traveling party is in England and working at Kirkby again.

Nat Phillips and Sepp van den Berg will make the trip to the United States, although the former is available for sale and the latter made it clear earlier this summer that he wanted to leave. Several of the traveling youths will later fall to the side of the Academy.

And with no major arrivals or departures discussed over the next fortnight, there is likely to be a familiar sight of the squad when they finally get back together in the week leading up to the final friendly against Sevilla at Anfield on August 11.

PROBABLY LIVERPOOL TEAM FIRST TEAM AFTER NEW TOUR

GOALKEEPERS: Alisson Becker, Caoimhin Kelleher, Vitezslav Jaros, Harvey Davies, Marcelo Pitaluga.

DEFENDERS: Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Jarell Quansah, Joe Gomez, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Bradley, Andy Robertson, Kostas Tsimikas, Owen Beck, Luke Chambers.

Midfielders: Alexis McAllister, Wataru Endo, Stefan Bajcetic, Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai, Bobby Clark, Ryan Gravenberch, Tyler Morton.

BEFORE: Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Fabio Carvalho, Ben Doak, Kaide Gordon.