Liverpool fans face 13-day wait for next match | OneFootball

Liverpool’s Next Step in Pre-Season Set for Hong Kong Against AC Milan

Reflecting on a poignant return to action

Liverpool’s pre-season opened with far more than just a football match. Sunday’s 3-1 win over Preston North End at Deepdale marked the beginning of a new chapter under Arne Slot, but more significantly, it was a deeply emotional occasion for a club still grieving the loss of Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva. The players, staff and travelling support stood in unity, with football rightly cast in the background for much of the day.

Photo: IMAGO

Despite the sombre backdrop, there was a quiet professionalism about Liverpool’s performance. Goals from Conor Bradley, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo provided the result, but the tone of the afternoon was shaped by tributes, songs and the collective strength of the Liverpool family.

Photo: IMAGO

Long wait for next pre-season fixture

While fans might have expected another friendly within days, the next opportunity to watch Liverpool comes with a pause. The squad’s second match of the summer is set for Saturday, 26 July in Hong Kong, where they will face AC Milan.

The 13-day gap between fixtures is indicative of a more measured approach to pre-season these days. In contrast to the intensity of years past, modern squads return from the off-season already in strong physical shape. The rhythm of pre-season now places emphasis on conditioning, tactical integration and emotional recovery, particularly after such an unprecedented start.

The fixture against AC Milan will present a sterner test than Preston and offers Liverpool’s evolving squad another chance to find its feet under Slot’s guidance.

Eyes on Wirtz and senior figures

One of the notable absentees at Deepdale was Florian Wirtz. The club’s record signing had been expected to make his first appearance but, like Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker, Alexis Mac Allister, Ibrahima Konate and Luis Diaz, remained at the AXA Training Centre for individual work.

There is no indication of injury. Instead, the decision was taken to allow those players extra time to build their fitness, with pre-season only just beginning.

With nearly two weeks before the next friendly, the expectation is that Wirtz and the other key names will feature in Hong Kong. It will be a significant moment, both for the new era under Slot and for a fanbase slowly beginning to look ahead once more.