Liverpool held an open training session at Boston’s Fenway Park on Saturday evening, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain among a host of players to sit it out.
The Reds were welcomed onto the converted pitch by a spirited group of American fans, with Jurgen Klopp roared onto the field with a round of Allez, Allez, Allez.
Klopp oversaw a relatively light session in temperatures rising above 35 degrees, and less than 24 hours after the 3-2 loss to Dortmund in a similarly sticky South Bend, rightly so.
While the main group warmed up with rondos before training patterns of play including big switches from either flank, eight players underwent a lighter programme.
Those were Joel Matip, Joe Gomez, Yasser Larouci, Fabinho, James Milner, Harry Wilson, Ryan Kent and Divock Origi; all players who have featured heavily since the opening friendly.
Four others missed out entirely, with three absent due to injury problems which could rule them out against Sevilla on Sunday night.
Nathaniel Clyne picked up a knock against Dortmund, while Adam Lallana (dead leg) and Bobby Duncan (foot) missed out and were not part of the session on Saturday; Lallana was not even present.
Oxlade-Chamberlain emerged from the dugout tunnel midway through open training but not in his boots, instead joining FSG director Mike Gordon and chief commercial officer Billy Hogan on the touchline.
According to the Liverpool Echo, the 25-year-old was working an individual programme separate from the squad, which should not rule him out for the next friendly.
He could be needed at least on the bench, if Clyne, Lallana and Duncan are all ruled out, with Klopp’s squad down to 26 including goalkeepers Andy Lonergan, Dan Atherton and Jakub Ojrzynski.
These latest injuries should provide bigger opportunities to the likes of Adam Lewis, Ki-Jana Hoever and Curtis Jones, however.
Hoever sat out the entirety of Friday’s defeat to Dortmund and therefore could be in line to start at right-back against Sevilla, while Lewis’ flexibility saw him brought on in midfield in the second half in Indiana.
Jones has impressive both in midfield and out wide, and with Duncan joining Paul Glatzel on the treatment table, he could be given a bigger platform as the US tour plays out.
Fan Comments