Here is the latest Liverpool morning digest for Tuesday, July 20.
FSG’s big worry over Jordan Henderson
With two years remaining on Jordan Henderson's contract with Liverpool, we are perhaps some way away from the point at which panic would be justified, writes David Lynch.
But make no mistake, reports that disagreements have arisen in the early stages of negotiations over a new deal do not bode well for the future.
At the age of 31, the player is clearly keen to ensure that the remainder of a career spent mostly at Anfield comes to a close there.
However, that an impasse has already developed suggests that the club's opinion on how much he should be paid during that period differs quite significantly.
Although not quite as urgent yet, it is a similar situation to that which Gini Wijnaldum found himself in prior to a move to Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
With his 31st birthday approaching and plenty of miles in the legs already, a new deal for the Dutchman was considered difficult to price up.
Yet, while it would have been unrealistic to expect Liverpool to match the £300k pre-tax wage he ultimately secured in Paris, it was said the midfielder was initially willing to accept around half that to join Barcelona or stay on Merseyside.
That the Reds would not budge on that front will be a concern for Henderson, who is five months older than his former teammate and aiming for an extension that would take him up to the age of 35 at the very least.
His cause is not helped by the fact that much of Michael Edwards' focus is currently on tying down the likes of Alisson Becker, Fabinho, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk for their peak years.
A reluctance to allow an entire squad to age together has no doubt coloured the opening discussions over an extension for the club's captain.
But, even if the prospect of on-pitch deterioration is a major concern for Liverpool, is it really wise to stubbornly stick to an agreed number when it comes to such an important dressing room figure?
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
How Liverpool could line up
Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool side have completed the first week of the pre-season preparations over at their camp in Austria, as the Premier League's curtain-raiser weekend moves ever closer, writes Kiefer MacDonald.
The Reds travel to Carrow Road on the opening weekend of the season as they take on Daniel Farke's newly-promoted side, but with recent injury boosts for Liverpool's long-term trio, and continuous rumours of potential incomings, how will Klopp line up on the opening day?
In terms of defence, Alisson, despite minimal training, will be expected to feature between the sticks on the opening day, but Liverpool could line up with one new face - Ibrahima Konate.
Trent Alexander-Arnold seems to be recovering nicely from the thigh injury that kept him out of this summer's European Championships, as he joined his teammates in full training on Thursday for the first time during this summer's camp. Suggesting that he will start against Norwich if all goes to plan over the coming weeks.
Liverpool's central defensive partnership will certainly boast more experience than the one they finished the last campaign with, as Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips helped the Reds get over the line on the final day of the 20/21 season.
Klopp could begin Liverpool's title challenge by fielding new signing Konate alongside Joel Matip, as comments this week from the Liverpool boss seem to suggest the Cameroonian is the most advanced out of his injury-stricken defenders when it comes to rehabilitation.
Andy Robertson seems to have been granted extra time off this summer after the 50 outings he managed for the Reds last season, followed by captaining Scotland at the Euros.
The Scot could link up with his teammates in Austria on Monday, July 26, giving him three weeks to prepare for Liverpool's opening day clash. Which should be more than enough time to prepare him for his lung-busting runs on the opening day of the season.
Midfield is where things could look slightly different, given that Liverpool lost their virtually ever-present engine, Gini Wijnaldum.
If Liverpool are to have learnt any lessons from last year's failings, then it will be how integral Fabinho is.
And with the Brazilian Copa American finalists reporting back to Kirkby at the start of August, it would be no surprise to see the German thrust his Brazilian dynamo straight into the eleven with only a few weeks of training under his belt.
Curtis Jones and James Milner are two that could perhaps be given the nod to start with Fabinho.
With Milner's international commitments being redundant since the summer of 2016, the benefit of him having an extended break this summer could, yet again, pay dividends to Klopp as other midfielders like Thiago and Jordan Henderson will be in the earlier stages of their pre-season schedules.
Likewise, with Curtis Jones having no commitments this summer due to England being knocked out of the U21s Euros in March, Klopp could opt for his talented young scouser as he potentially pairs him alongside Milner.
Liverpool's most recent addition to their attacking quartet, Diogo Jota, will more than likely be primed for a start in East Anglia as Roberto Firmino recovers from this summer's Copa America mileage.
And Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah will be expected to take their usual places in Liverpool's attacking trio, as the duo have enjoyed an extensive break over the summer months for the first time in their Liverpool's careers. Something their manager alluded to earlier in the week.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
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