5 things spotted in Liverpool training as Nunez and Van Dijk miss session

Liverpool are back on Merseyside after their pre-season trip to Asia.

The Reds faced Manchester United and Crystal Palace in Thailand and Singapore respectively, with Jurgen Klopp 's men limbering up for what's set to be another gruelling campaign. Recovering from their 4-0 thrashing at the hands of old foes United last Tuesday, Liverpool got their first win of the new term against Palace on Friday, swatting their Premier League rivals aside 2-0.

Now closer to home for a short period, the Reds are ready for a trip to Austria. There, they'll face RB Leipzig on Thursday and Red Bull Salzburg next Wednesday before returning for their curtain-raising Community Shield clash with Manchester City.

Here are five things spotted from Liverpool's Monday training session.

Gomez returns as trio miss out

Joe Gomez was a welcome sight for Liverpool supporters as he returned to first-team training at the Reds' AXA Training Complex on Monday afternoon. The 25-year-old, who recently signed a new contract at Anfield until 2027, picked up an injury after the defeat to United and subsequently missed the Palace friendly.

Gomez is now back, though, and was seen taking part in warm-up drills with the rest of his Liverpool teammates and the small-sided matches towards the end of the session. The same couldn't be said for Virgil van Dijk, Darwin Nunez and Thiago Alcantara, however, as they were given some extra time off before the trip to Austria.

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Alisson Becker and Diogo Jota are also absent, recovering from injuries which put their respective places in the starting XI against City on Saturday, July 30 in doubt. While Alisson nurses an abdominal issue, Jota is continuing his rehabilitation period after suffering injury while on international duty with Portugal last month.

Warm-weather training

The UK heatwave didn't miss Merseyside out on Monday, as the forecasted soaring temperates got under way. Usually, clubs go abroad in search of warm-weather training camps, but Klopp and co could enjoy the sunshine right at home, as the city of Liverpool prepares for another day of temperatures exceeding 30 degrees celsius.

Luis Diaz, used to the heat in his native Colombia, even needed some refreshment midway through the session.

Henderson eyeing more goals

Jordan Henderson is hungry for more goals after netting against Palace on Friday. The Liverpool captain opened the scoring after 12 minutes, having come off a season in which he bagged just two league strikes. As the Reds bid to fill the void of goals left by new Bayern Munich signing Sadio Mane, midfielders like Henderson chipping in would be greatly appreciated by Klopp.

The 32-year-old was seen practising his shooting on Monday, knowing that Anfield chiefs could make a move for someone in his position over the next 12 months. Jude Bellingham - Henderson's teammate for England - has been strongly linked with a move, meaning that the skipper's role in midfield may well be under threat very soon.

Salah never stops

With a new three-year deal in the bag, Mohamed Salah can concentrate on his football after another stellar campaign with the Reds. On Monday, he was back in the gym improving his pristine build, and it's no wonder why Klopp is constantly in awe of the Egyptian king's supreme physicality.

"Fitness-wise, he's a machine - in the most incredible shape," the German told his club's website after Salah signed a lucrative new contract, lasting until 2025. "He works hard on it and he gets his rewards. His ability and his skill level gets higher each season, and his decision-making has gone to another level also."

Chance for young stopper

He may be spending the season on loan at Macclesfield Town in the eighth tier, but Marcelo Pitaluga was at Kirkby on Monday to showcase his talent to the first-team setup. The 19-year-old Brazilian was the subject of a surprise move earlier this month but to due the Silkmen not training full-time, Pitaluga can occasionally come back to work at his parent club.

With fellow stoppers Alisson and Caoimhin Kelleher sidelined, the teenager's presence was handy - especially after starring in a 2-0 win for his new side last week against Championship side West Bromwich Albion.

Macclesfield manager Danny Whitaker heaped praise on young Pitaluga post-match, telling Silkmen TV : "Marcelo put in a good, good, solid performance, commanding his box. He made some fantastic saves. Me and the goalkeeper coach Dom, we spoke about that and highlighted that in terms of commanding his box, being on the front foot, coming out for crosses and punching or catching if he can.

"So that was something we were going to be working on this week, and it was just fantastic to see that he has got that in his locker. Maybe it will just take him a few more games to settle down and get used to this new environment and the players around him. So based on that, hopefully he kicks on and keeps progressing."