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Florian Wirtz looks on during Liverpool Training & Press Conference ahead of the MEIJI YASUDA J.LEAGUE World Challenge 2025 presented by The Nippon Foundation at Prince Takamado Memorial JFA YUME Field on July 29, 2025 (Image: Photo by Koji Watanabe/Getty Images)

Liverpool were put through their paces by Arne Slot and his staff at the JFA Dreamfield on Tuesday morning as they gear up for Wednesday's friendly with Yokohama F Marinos at the Nissan Stadium.

The Reds will be entertained by the J-League side in the second of their two-game tour of Asia, having been beaten by AC Milan at Hong Kong's Kai Tak Stadium on Saturday evening.

Ahead of Wednesday's game in Japan, Slot and his players went through their training plans in searing temperatures and ECHO was pitch-side at the session to see it all unfold.



Here's what we learned.

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New weapons

When Arne Slot spoke at the end of last season about needing "new weapons" this was maybe not what he had in mind.

But as the Reds look to take their next step in their development under the head coach, it seems they are leaving no stone unturned in their pursuit of perfection.

A long-throw drill was introduced to the workout on Tuesday with Ryan Gravenberch, Conor Bradley, Milos Kerkez and Wataru Endo all taking it in turns to sling throws into the box for the players to react to.

Liverpool advertised for a specialist set-piece coach last summer but eventually opted against recruiting for one and instead included it in the list of responsibilities for first-team individual development coach Aaron Briggs, who was overseeing all the throws across the session.

At times, it looked like it could be a potentially threatening tactic, with Alexis Mac Allister finishing off one move that involved a flick-on from Darwin Nunez via Kerkez's launch.

On other occasions - particularly when Gravenberch tried it - the drill looked something that might be left on the cutting room floor of pre-season.

It's unlikely to be a huge part of the arsenal going forward but it could possibly be a new string to the bow as Liverpool search for ways to unpick the opposition lock.

Ngumoha gets a dressing down

Andy Robertson had spoken in Hong Kong about being part of the leadership group that looks to take the club's young players under their wing on trips such as these.

The Scotland captain name-checked Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni specifically and as the players went through a passing drill to kick things off, it was the former who was on the end of a loud, public and very light-hearted dressing down.

The jovial nature of Robertson's delivery of choice words laid bare that he wasn't particularly serious when he accused Ngumoha of complacency after one particular pass went astray, but having had the likes of Jordan Henderson and James Milner serve as long-time police of the dressing room, the left-back is keen to take on that mantle to ensure all young players know about the high demands that exist at Anfield.

Vocal Van Dijk working on Kerkez partnership

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk had a few words of forthright advice for new boy Milos Kerkez during the session in Tokyo on the day.

During one intense game of possession, the Reds skipper was being flanked by the Hungary left-back in the sort of positions they will find themselves when the real action starts next month.

And after demanding Kerkez look to recycle possession with a chest control rather than a header away during one passage of play, Van Dijk also warned against his younger colleague going to ground to clear during another.

It's all part of getting in tune with each other and Van Dijk will know that the 21-year-old Kerkez will be a new face at left-back for the first time in years this coming campaign, having played alongside Robertson since 2017 and deputy Kostas Tsimikas since 2020.

The are things to be ironed out before that partnership starts to flourish on the left side of the defence but this is exactly what the pre-season weeks are all about.

Consistent Wirtz gets pat on the back

During the shooting and set-piece drills with coach Briggs, Florian Wirtz was on the receiving end of some praise for his work.

The Germany international was the designated corner taker during that period of the workout and was also tasked with crossing for his colleagues into the penalty area and such was the quality of his deliveries, coach Briggs could be heard bellowing about it as the media watched on.

"Loving the consistency Flo!" Briggs was heard shouting as the former Bayer Leverkusen man continued to shape a succession of crosses into the area for his colleagues to attack.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold now at Real Madrid, Wirtz looks like he could be a candidate to succeed on corner-taking duties, or at least share them with Alexis Mac Allister.

Briggs' feedback, on this evidence, is likely to be hugely positive to Slot when the discussions around set-piece takers is had before the start of the season.

Alisson absent

Alisson Becker has left Liverpool's pre-season training camp in Tokyo and will not feature against Yokohama F Marinos on Wednesday.

The Brazil international was absent from Tuesday morning's open training session at the JFA Dreamfield venue and it's understood he has now left the Reds' contingent in Tokyo.

The goalkeeper has flown back to Merseyside for what has been described as a personal matter and will link up with his colleagues when they return to training at the AXA Centre.

It means Giorgi Mamardashvili is expected to start when the Reds are hosted by struggling J-League side.

The news of Alisson's departure follows on from Joe Gomez's flight back to the United Kingdom after picking up a minor Achilles injury in Hong Kong.
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