There are now just 11 days left until Liverpool returns to Premier League action with the Arne Slot era getting underway at Portman Road, the home of Ipswich Town. The countdown began a long time ago and preparations are in full swing.
Things are going to go up a notch today, though. Luis Diaz , Darwin Nunez , Trent Alexander-Arnold , Joe Gomez , Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo returned to Kirkby on Sunday for pre-season testing while Alisson Becker was back on Monday. Tuesday will see those players and those who were away in the USA reunited as one big group.
Even at this point of the summer, however, with Liverpool still yet to make a signing, there are questions to be asked. Contract situations remain the same and there is plenty that could yet happen in the transfer market, but this is what else Reds fans should be wondering after the tour of the USA came to a close.
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Fabio Carvalho's future
With a bid having been rejected for Fabio Carvalho from Southampton, there is a question mark over what comes next. Leicester City is just one of the other clubs interested.
Carvalho probably won't get that many minutes next season, if we're being honest, but the Reds want substantially more than $19m (£15m/€17m) to let him go and it remains to be seen whether anyone will pay that. Keeping him wouldn't be the worst thing but Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz are much better options down the left flank.
Carvalho's future has a big question mark hanging over it. The same can be said of Sepp van den Berg and quite a few others, with loan decisions to be made on the likes of Ben Doak and Kaide Gordon.
Center-back pecking order
Jarell Quansah being selected to play right center-back with Ibrahima Konate to his left was interesting against Manchester United. That could just be because Liverpool feels Konate is better suited to playing on his 'wrong' side but it could also be a hint that Quansah is leading the race to partner Virgil van Dijk when the Premier League campaign starts.
Slot will have a big decision to make on that side of his center-back pairing and while things can change throughout the campaign, it will be instructive. Quansah has the edge at the moment and not just because he was first back for pre-season. The 21-year-old ended last season strongly and in the team and he has done nothing to suggest that should have changed in the intervening period.
Midfield composition
Wataru Endo is clearly some way down the pecking order given that Curtis Jones was playing number six ahead of him and Ryan Gravenberch started ahead of him vs Manchester United when Dominik Szoboszlai was rested. Liverpool has changed how the middle third of the pitch looks under Slot but we're yet to see exactly what it looks like.
When Alexis Mac Allister is properly back we should have a decent idea. Right now, though, it doesn't appear that Endo is going to be more than a squad player . That will definitely be the case if an elite number six appears on the market and Liverpool pounces, but Endo will still be useful if he sticks around.
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