Nearly every Liverpool player has returned to Kirkby this week and some need more training than others to prove themselves.

In fact, after a difficult season in which Liverpool failed to qualify for the Champions League group stage, a large number of players have much to prove before the 2023-24 season.

Stefan Bajcetic

The man who was discovered last season, Stefan Bajcetic, had impressive games in the first team, but unfortunately he suffered a thigh muscle injury and had to end the season early in March. Earlier, the Spaniard was rewarded with a new contract just days after becoming the third youngest player to score for Liverpool.

Mo Salah has called Bajcetic “the best player” of the Reds, and he is not exaggerating. Before the injury that ended the season, he played very well, even starting in the first leg of the 1/8 Champions League round against Real Madrid – that is the belief that Klopp has for this boy.

If Bajcetic can prove during the training season that he is fully recovered from injury, fans will feel less worried about the news that Liverpool do not want to spend money on defensive midfielders before the transfer market closed.

Joe Gomez

This summer feels to Joe Gomez as a pivotal season to his Liverpool career. The man once considered the perfect partner for Virgil van Dijk has slipped down the list of central defenders and has only appeared once in the last 10 matches of the 2022-2023 Premier League season, and even in the match. a pointless 4-4 draw with Southampton on the final day.

Injury-free has always been Gomez’s main problem. When fully fit, he is a mobile centre-back who can also play at right-back, which means he is one of the perfect players for Klopp’s team, because Trent Alexander-Arnold has allowed to attack more recently.

The question now is whether Gomez would better benefit from a move to another club, especially as Ibrahima Konate is expected to continue to partner Van Dijk at the heart of Liverpool’s defence. So whether he is trying to get Klopp’s attention, or to attract interest elsewhere, Gomez is bound to be determined to score points during the training season.

Joel Matip

Joel Matip is clearly a hugely popular figure at Liverpool, within the team and among the fans, but he’s in a similar position to Gomez’s. Again, injuries are an issue, but even when fully fit, Matip only featured in seven Premier League games in the second half of last season.

Matip turns 32 next month, so there’s no guarantee he’ll be at Anfield when the season begins. If an offer comes in for a player who has only a year left on his contract and has a long history of minor injuries and illnesses, it is safe to say that Liverpool will seriously consider letting him go.

For now, however, Matip will focus entirely on getting himself in the best shape possible for the upcoming season.

Fabinho

Liverpool have predicted that a number of key players may struggle after the race to the historic double in the 2021-2022 season. Mental and physical fatigue is inevitable after a massive effort to end a disaster, with the Reds falling just short of both the Premier League and Champions League.

What Liverpool didn’t expect, however, was a dramatic drop in Fabinho’s form – and that took a toll on the team, as the team relied too much on the Brazilian midfielder to clear everything in front of the defence. reign. His lifeless performances resulted in a defense being brutally exposed.

So the question now is: was last season evidence of Fabinho’s irreversible decline or will he return to his best form in the 2023-2024 season? The pre-season training season will be a useful indicator to answer this question.

Jordan Henderson

Jordan Henderson never shies away from a challenge. The fact that he remains at Liverpool, and is now the club’s captain, is thanks to his own great endurance that helped him get through the first difficult period of his career at Anfield. He never lost his ability to silence his critics, as he demonstrated by playing a key role in England’s campaign to the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup.

However, he is facing a serious test, as rookies Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai are expected to immediately join Liverpool’s midfield three. Naturally, the two players will be given time to adapt – Klopp has tried to emphasize that Szoboszlai, in particular, will not be pressured to immediately produce world-class performances.

However, the fact remains that two new players are expected to stand alongside Fabinho. As a result, Henderson will once again need to be reminded of his quality and leadership skills if he is to be picked before Fabinho, or even Bajcetic, to either a fixed 6 or keep the 8. The pre-season training season would be a good place to start proving your worth.

Darwin Nunez

No Liverpool player will be put under the red light more than Darwin Nunez, the expensive rookie from Benfica last summer. Nunez finished last season with 15 goals in all competitions, and he created plenty of chances for his teammates as well.

However, Darwin spent a lot of time on the bench at the end of last season, which meant it was inevitable that his first year at Merseyside presented more questions than answers.

The competition for attacking positions will be fierce this season, especially with Luis Diaz fully fit again, so the pressure is on Nunez to make it clear why Liverpool are willing to pay. 64 million pounds ($82 million) initially for his services.