Manager Arne Slot said Liverpool had “many” aspects to improve and “need to do better” as his exhausted squad lost 4-2 to Milan in Hong Kong on Saturday.
The dominant Premier League champion did not deploy center, forward Hugo Ekitike – signed from Eintracht Frankfurt with an initial £69m – absent alongside Darwin Nunez, who won a nine-minute hat in a friendly against Stoke City last Sunday, Colombia International Louis Luis Diaz
“We came up with two No.10 games and it looks really good in having a team,” Slot said in a conversation with LFC TV.
“But we were hit back three times in the first half and one led to a goal. There were some positive things, but many we needed to improve.”
Liverpool Injury: Mac Allister, Nunez, Diaz, Endo
“We’re missing seven senior players, we need each to play for 45 minutes, which means you need 20 players,” Slot said.
“Unfortunately, then you have to play some position. Maybe we have too many attacks due to these and some other details.
“One of the positions we don’t have is No9. Hugo isn’t ready for the game, Darwin is injured, Lujo [Luis Diaz] Can’t play. ”
Slot suggests that Nunez and midfielder Wataru Endo have suffered little damage, saying he hopes to include organizer Alexis Mac Allister in part of his training Monday and Tuesday.
Centre-back Joe Gomez returns home to recover the Achilles problem.
“We think it’s better to do the assessment in England and have him work on it to get back to the team in a more ideal situation,” Slot said. “We hope and expect to get him back soon.”
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– Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 26, 2025
When will Hugo Ekitike play for Liverpool?
SLOT said he expects French under-21 striker Ekitike to score 15 goals in 33 matches last season at Eintracht Frankfurt, and he will play “some minutes” when Liverpool visited Japan’s Yokohama F. Marinos on Wednesday (11:30 BST / 06:30 BST / 06:30 ET / 03:30 PT).
The Dutchman is more worried about Liverpool’s vulnerability at the other end of the court, with Rafael Leao, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Noah Oka all in the wake of the break Giorgi Mamardashvili’s mistake allowing Okafor to click in the second largest time.
“Acknowledging the four goals is definitely not something we are used to or want,” slot said. “One of the reasons we fought back was because we lost some duels – [it was] Too easy.
“Crystal Palace” [who Liverpool meet in the Community Shield on August 10] Last season was a huge threat to counterattack, so we need to do better.
“If you look at the second goal we admit, we aren’t actively defending our right side enough.”
Liverpool vs. Milan: Milos Kerkez’s “radical”
Liverpool dominated the 1-0 loss to Singapore’s Arsenal as Milan, with 69 per cent possession and 18 of 28 attempts between the two teams.
Dominik Szoboszlai curled in a striking equalizer, making the split 1-1, while Cody Gakpo briefly gave it a 3-2 score in Ibrahima Konate’s delivery in the second half.
Wideman Jeremie Frimpong (signed from Leverkusen in May) was signed for £29.5 million and after Milan finished third, he made an elegant control to beat Gakpo’s long ball and test half-time replacement goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano.
Left-back Milos Kerkez also impressed Slot. “Cody got a big chance, he missed the game in his left foot, starting with the same goal, Milos attacked and won the duel,” Slot said.
“These are the details and details you have to be very good in other situations – otherwise, at this level, you’re punished.”
Liverpool and Milan
Rafael Leao’s first choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker and Captain Virgil Van Dijk are the players.
Winger Elliott joined them after playing the role of starring in England’s Under 21 victory in June, defensive midfielder Tyler Morton (also a big part of the Young Lions) replaced again in the first half and second.
Georgia goalkeeper Mamardashvili, who sold £29.9 million from Valencia before the 2024/25 season, is one of nine players in that interval, with only 18-year-old midfielders Trey Nyoni and Ryan Gravenberch retaining the starting lineup.
Liverpool starts: Arison; Stephenson, Morton, Van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch; Ngumoha, Wirtz, Elliott; Sarah
Liverpool starts the second half: Mamardashvili; Bradley, konate, tsimikas, kerkez; Jones’s grave; Frimpong, Nyoni, Gakpo; doak
Liverpool Preseason 2025/26
July 30 with Johuhama FM (Japan)
August 5 vs. Villarreal (H)
August 9 with Sports Club (H)
When will Liverpool’s 2025/26 Premier League season start?
The first round of the Premier League in 2025/26 will be held on the weekend of August 16, 2025, with Liverpool starting the action at home at Bournemouth on Friday, August 15 at 20:00 BST (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT).
The match with one of the surprise packages for 2024/25 is being exhibited live in the UK, at Sky Sports Premier League, Ultra and Main Event.
The final round of the season will all start on May 24, 2026. There will be no rounds between each other and there will be no matches on December 24.
