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Jeremie Frimpong arriving at Liverpool's AXA Training Centre this morning(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)

Liverpool began their pre-season preparations at the AXA Training Centre today.

The mood was a sombre one at the training ground as the Reds continue to mourn Diogo Jota following his death on Thursday (July 3).

The Portuguese was killed in a car crash along with his brother Andre Silva in Spain after their vehicle veered off the road following a tyre blowout, leading to an outpouring of grief across the football world.

A number of Liverpool's squad, along with club officials, attended Jota's funeral service in Gondomar, Portugal on Saturday, having been given extra time off by the club in order to process the death of their team-mate.

READ MORE:Liverpool players arrive back to AXA Training Centre for pre-seasonREAD MORE:Liverpool coach who left in backroom shake-up appointed by Tottenham Hotspur

Indeed, Liverpool postponed the start of pre-season training, which had originally been scheduled to begin with a smaller group of players on Friday (July 4) before a further contingent returned on Monday (July 7).

Tributes to Jota, including flowers and flags, were left both at Anfield and at the entrance of Liverpool's AXA Training Centre, where the majority of Liverpool's squad arrived on Tuesday, with Mohamed Salah among those pictured by photographers outside the training ground.

Jeremie Frimpong was another player pictured arriving and he, along with Liverpool's other major summer signings Florian Wirtz, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Milos Kerkez, were a part of the group that reported to training.

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Arne Slot will be joined by new assistant Giovanni van Bronckhorst, as well as the returning goalkeeping coach Xavi Valero, who have replaced John Heitinga, who moves to Ajax as their new head coach, and Fabian Otte, who has joined Thomas Frank's coaching team at Tottenham.

Gym work and physical tests met the players on their return to pre-season, with Slot making several changes to previous routines under Jurgen Klopp when he was appointed as Liverpool head coach last year.

The Dutchman replaced Klopp's infamous lactate test, which was overseen by the drill sergeant-like figure of Andreas Kornmayer, with players completing numerous laps around the perimeter of the pitches before having their blood samples measured.

It was designed to measure the maximum intensity at which a player can compete before suffering from high levels of lactate in the blood, which causes fatigue.

Salah was the undisputed king of that particular event last summer.

The Reds will then step up preparations for the first friendly of the summer, which is scheduled to take place against Preston North End at Deepdale on Sunday.

A formal decision on whether that game will go ahead has yet to be made, though the Championship club were preparing for it and released ticket sale details on their website on Tuesday.

The game, which is scheduled to kick off at 3pm, is to be broadcast live on ITV.

With coverage getting underway at 2.50pm, Joe Speight and former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock are set to provide commentary, with the programme then concluding at 5.10pm.

The ECHO understands that the broadcaster’s intention to air the Premier League champions’ first friendly of the summer was made long before Jota’s tragic passing.

It is understood that a deal was agreed in principle before the end of June, before a final agreement was struck to broadcast the game early last week.

Liverpool then have a 13-day break before their next scheduled pre-season friendly, a clash with AC Milan in Hong Kong on July 26 at the newly opened at Kai Tak Sports Park .

The Reds will then jet to their first ever pre-season visit to Japan for a meeting with Yokohama F Marinos on July 30 at the Nissan Stadium.

Liverpool's pre-season concludes on August 4 with the Anfield double header against Athletic Bilbao, a concept they introduced last summer when they hosted Sevilla and Las Palmas on the same day.

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Crystal Palace and the Community Shield follows on August 10, with Liverpool facing the side that overcame Manchester City in the FA Cup final back in May before their Premier League title defence begins at Anfield against Bournemouth on Friday, August 15.


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