Liverpool have announced their 29-man squad for their upcoming pre-season tour of Asia, with two notable omissions.
The Reds have played two friendlies so far, sweeping aside Preston and Stoke City with eight goals scored and one conceded.
Arne Slot’s men will now step up their preparations for the new season by jetting out to Far East, taking on AC Milan in Hong Kong before facing Japanese side Yokohama F. Marinos.
The full squad was announced on the club’s official website Sunday evening, with two major absentees.
Heavily courted by Bayern Munich, Luis Diaz will not be part of the travelling party in what would be appear to be a clear indication he is on the move.
Diaz was not included on the teamsheet for the 5-0 behind-closed-doors win over Stoke City, with Bayern recently having a £58.5 million offer rejected.
But the Colombian isn’t the only Liverpool attacker not included on the tour. Federico Chiesa was on target in the win over Stoke but according to Fabrizio Romano, the Italian has been left out as “he’s expected to leave this summer”.
Chiesa only signed for around £10 million last summer but only featured 12 times in all competitions, scoring once.
James Pearce from The Athletic reported that his exclusion is down to a “minor fitness” issue but plenty of Reds supporters believe both Diaz and Chiesa are on the way out.
One fan said: “They can hear me crying in Liverpool with this news ffs.”
A second commented: “I was okay until I saw this.”
A third added: “We definitely need an another attacker/striker if Chiesa is leaving as well.”
Another wrote: “Not Chiesa man I don’t want him to go.”
The squad includes big-hitters like Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Mo Salah, as well as new signings Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez.
The use of Dominik Szoboszlai will be particularly interesting after he lined up as a right-back in the game against Stoke at the AXA Training Centre.
Liverpool’s squad for pre-season tour: Alisson, Gomez, Endo, Van Dijk, Konate, Diaz, Szoboszlai, Nunez, Mac Allister, Salah, Jones, Gakpo, Elliott, Tsimikas, Robertson, Gravenberch, Doak, Woodman, Mamardashvili, Kerkez, Wirtz, Frimpong, Pecsi, Ngumoha, Misciur, Morton, Bradley, Stephenson, Nyoni.