Liverpool problems are about to become glaringly clear for Andoni Iraola

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Echo or go back to LFC Live.

SportFootballLiverpool FCLiverpool will ramp up their pre-season preparations when the squad reconvenes at the AXA Training Centre on WednesdayIt's not quite a full house just yet. But Andoni Iraola will start to gain a much greater understanding of the task at hand as Liverpool head coach when he returns to the AXA Training Centre on Wednesday morning.Iraola will work directly with Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, Alisson Becker and new signing Victor Munoz for the first time to leave Alexis Mac Allister as the only senior squad member yet to begin pre-season preparations ahead of the new Premier League campaign.Alisson, who reached the last 16 of the World Cup with Brazil, was back at Kirkby on Tuesday where he was put through his paces both in the gym and on the training pitch.Van Dijk and Gakpo returned a week earlier to start their pre-season, with Liverpool having opted against jetting out the duo for the latter part of the United States tour unlike Ryan Gravenberch and Florian Wirtz, who both featured in the friendly defeat to Leeds United in Chicago on Sunday.Munoz, though, will be at the AXA Training Centre for the first time having chosen to cut short the three-week break Liverpool give all their World Cup participants to instead help accelerate his integration following a £34.5million move from Osasuna last month.The winger was part of Spain's triumphant squad but failed to feature for a minute in the tournament having been sidelined for the first weeks through injury and then unable to force his way into a winning team.Liverpool's US tour party had jetted home immediately after the Leeds game and were given Tuesday off before they reconvene on Wednesday.The Reds have only two Anfield friendlies - against Monaco this Sunday and Como seven days later - to finetune matters ahead of the first competitive match of the Iraola era at Newcastle United on August 23, although those not involved in the latter game are expected to feature in a behind-closed-doors fixture against the Italian team's second string at Kirkby earlier in the day.Mac Allister is not expected to begin his pre-season until after the weekend, with Iraola having already indicated neither the Argentine World Cup finalist nor Munoz will realistically be ready for the start of the campaign.But there will be some relief from the Liverpool head coach he will soon have a better grasp of his forward options and thus able to make calls beyond the obvious demand for a new right-winger, with Paris Saint-Germain's Bradley Barcola the priority.Iraola has also sounded his concerns at a lack of defensive availability.

At centre-back, £60m Jeremy Jacquet is still yet to feature for his new club after a shoulder problem, Giovanni Leoni remains in the final stages of rehabilitation from an ACL injury, Joe Gomez is out for several weeks and teenager Ifeanyi Ndukwe is ineligible to play this season.And in the problematic right-back position, Conor Bradley is on a long recovery from a serious knee problem and Jeremie Frimpong prompted a scare when asking to be substituted against Leeds.Liverpool will hope Frimpong's exit was just a precaution and the Netherlands international takes part in training this week. They can ill afford any more injury absences.Indeed, if Fenway Sports Group and the Reds' recruitment team weren't already aware of the pressing need for reinforcements as the clock ticks down towards deadline day, the roll call at the AXA Training Centre over the coming days will offer compelling evidence.FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE!

All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook pageChoose Liverpool Echo as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.Liverpool FC