Liverpool face Athletic Bilbao in a friendly double-header on Monday evening as the Reds return to Anfield.

With the Premier League season just under two weeks away, Liverpool are finalising preparations to retain their crown.

Pre-season has not been completely straightforward for Liverpool on the pitch, despite the arrival of several exciting new additions.

The Reds looked porous at the back as they were beaten 3-1 by AC Milan in Hong Kong, during a match which saw Alisson Becker make his only appearance of the summer so far.

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Alisson flew home early from the tour in the Far East, with the club citing a ‘personal matter’ as the reason for the Brazilian’s absence.

And as Liverpool get ready to play again, Alisson has shared a post ahead of Monday’s match.



Photo by Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

With Alisson having suffered personal tragedy in the public eye in the past, Liverpool supporters will have been hoping that there was nothing sinister about his return to Brazil.

Thankfully, the 32-year-old appears all fine in a post shared on his Instagram stories on Sunday evening.

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Alisson looks happy and relaxed as he smiles at the camera alongside his wife, Natalia.

There is no suggestion of the Brazil international’s whereabouts, but the fact he looks pleased is certainly good news.

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With Liverpool in action on Monday, the Liverpool ECHO report that Alisson had been expected to link-up back with his teammates upon their return to Merseyside.

There is no confirmation yet as to whether Alisson did eventually return as planned.

While it remains to be seen whether Alisson features for Liverpool on Monday, there are seemingly some question marks over other members of the squad as well.

Joe Gomez was the other Reds player to come back early, with the defender nursing an achilles problem.

However, there is again no firm update on Gomez, with the ECHO unable to confirm whether he will be involved against Athletic.

Meanwhile, Ben Doak should reportedly return after visa issues impacted his involvement against Yokohama F.