Jurgen Klopp and his 27-man Liverpool squad have arrived in the Spanish seaside strip of La Manga, for a warm-weather training camp this week.
The German has opted to utilise the lengthy break in the Reds’ fixture schedule and oversee another “pre-season” for his squad, in a similar move to the previous campaign.
While Klopp took a host of his non-internationals to Tenerife last March, this time Liverpool’s first team headed to La Manga.
With previous experience of the area from his time with Borussia Dortmund, Klopp will be hoping for a positive four-day break, with the Reds landing in south-east Spain on Wednesday night.
He was without five injured players in Adam Bogdan (ACL), Dejan Lovren (knee), Marko Grujic (hamstring), Ovie Ejaria (ankle) and Danny Ings (knee), but was otherwise joined by a host of key names.
The likes of Joel Matip, Nathaniel Clyne, Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, Adam Lallana, Sadio Mane, Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino all flew to La Manga.
They are joined by youngsters Sheyi Ojo, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Yan Dhanda, Conor Masterson, Harry Wilson and Ben Woodburn, with Klopp looking to use the time for some valuable team bonding.
Speaking ahead of Liverpool’s trip across the continent, outlined his plans for the break, to ensure his side put a poor run of form behind them as they push for the Premier League‘s top four.
“I have no problem with now having a few days where we can really train,” he explained.
“A little bit of rest, then we really start a pre-season, that’s how we understand it.
“We want to use the time that we have then, and hopefully everybody can see that would make sense.”
The improved conditions in La Manga, where temperatures are set to average around 15°C, will allow Klopp to oversee a different type of training to that at Melwood during winter.
This could see him look to replicate the rigorous sessions of the Reds’ summer in Palo Alto, though given they will be in action at Leicester City on February 27, this is unlikely.
Nevertheless, a trip away will provide Klopp with the perfect opportunity to restore confidence in a side already buoyed by an excellent 2-0 victory over top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur last time out.
Liverpool squad in La Manga: Karius, Mignolet, Manninger, Matip, Lucas, Klavan, Gomez, Masterson, Clyne, Milner, Moreno, Alexander-Arnold, Randall, Stewart, Henderson, Lallana, Wijnaldum, Can, Dhanda, Coutinho, Ojo, Wilson, Woodburn, Mane, Firmino, Sturridge, Origi
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