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

Stefan Bajcetic, a player who made his debut last year, played well for the first team, but he was forced to end the season early in March due to a thigh muscle injury. Just days after becoming the third-youngest player to score for Liverpool, the Spaniard was given a new deal.

Bajcetic has been referred to as “the best player” for the Reds by Mo Salah, and he is not exaggerating. Klopp has confidence in this young player because, before to the injury that interrupted the season, he performed admirably and even started the first leg of the 1/8 Champions League round against Real Madrid.

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.

Gomez’s major issue has always been remaining injury-free. He is one of the ideal players for Klopp’s club because Trent Alexander-Arnold has been given more freedom to attack recently, and he is a versatile center-back when completely healthy.

The question at hand is whether Gomez would be better off joining a different team, especially given that Ibrahima Konate is anticipated to stay as Van Dijk’s partner at the center of Liverpool’s defense. Gomez is therefore bound to be focused on scoring goals throughout the preseason, whether he is doing so to catch Klopp’s eye or to draw interest from other sources.

Joel Matip

Joel Matip is undoubtedly very well-liked at Liverpool, both by the players and the supporters, but his situation is similar to that of Gomez. Injury problems persist, but even when healthy, Matip played in just seven Premier League games in the second half of the previous season.

There is no assurance that Matip will be at Anfield when the new season starts because he will be 32 next month. It is realistic to assume that Liverpool will seriously consider releasing a player with just a year left on his contract who has a long history of minor injuries and illnesses.

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.