Eight Liverpool players back at AXA Training Centre as Andoni Iraola era begins

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SportFootballLiverpool FCNew Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has started working with his squad ahead of the start of pre-season next weekNew Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has officially started working with his players at the AXA Training Centre.Iraola, who was appointed as successor to the sacked Arne Slot last month, was on the training pitch with a number of Liverpool squad members on Tuesday for preparatory work ahead of the start of pre-season next week.A select group primarily made up of players coming back from injury or loan spells met up with the Spaniard for the first time. Also present were members of Iraola's new-look backroom staff, which was confirmed last week.New £60million centre-back signing Jeremy Jacquet, whose previous season at Rennes was ended early by shoulder surgery, was the most high-profile name being put through their paces.Harvey Elliott, who spent last season at Aston Villa, and James McConnell were also out on the grass along with Stefan Bajectic, who hasn't played for Liverpool's first team in more than two years.Elsewhere at the training facility, Hugo Ekitike, Wataru Endo, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni were pictured continuing their rehabilitation programmes following serious injury.Ekitike has targeted Boxing Day as a return from an Achilles operation underwent in April while Endo was forced to pull out of Japan's World Cup squad due to an ankle problem suffered in February.Liverpool are hopeful Leoni will play some part in pre-season having been out since last September with ACL damage, while no timescale has been set for Bradley's return having been missing since a major knee operation in January.The majority of the Reds' squad will reconvene at the AXA Training Centre next Tuesday (July 14), while there will be a staggered return for those who were on World Cup duty with their countries with each player allowed three weeks off after their country's participation has ended at the tournament.Choose Liverpool Echo as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.Liverpool FCAndoni Iraola