Liverpool’s preseason kicked off with a poignant 3–1 victory at Preston North End on Sunday afternoon, as the Reds appeared for the first time since the tragic deaths of Diogo Jota and André Silva.
Preston more than played their part in the tribute to Liverpool’s forever No. 20, while a packed away end commemorated their former star via flags, scarves and relentless chanting. Arne Slot’s squad remain in a state of mourning, and the grief bestowed upon a city is unlikely to dissipate anytime soon.
“Nothing seems to be important if we think of what has happened. But we are a football club and we need to train and we need to play again, if we want it or not,” Slot commented after Liverpool’s preseason win.
The Reds have a Premier League title to defend come August, and a busy summer schedule lies ahead. On Sunday, Slot handed debuts to goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, as well as summer additions Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong. However, Liverpool supporters will have to wait a little while longer to catch their first glimpse of record signing Florian Wirtz.
The Earliest Date Florian Wirtz Can Make His Liverpool Debut
In March 2022, Florian Wirtz tore his ACL and was sidelined for over 10 months.
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) June 20, 2025
Since returning, he has:
⚽️ 50+ goals
🅰️ 60+ assists
🏆 Bundesliga Champion
🏆 DFB-Pokal Champion
🥇 Bundesliga 23/24 Player of the Season
Now? Liverpool’s club record signing ⭐ pic.twitter.com/5SvlGbtzdD
German international Wirtz completed his mammoth £116 million ($156.4 million) move to Anfield last month, having established himself as one of Europe’s most revered playmakers in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen.
The 22-year-old recorded 22 league goal contributions as Leverkusen dethroned Bayern Munich in Germany with an unbeaten 2022–23 campaign. Wirtz matched that tally last season, but they were powerless to stop Bayern from regaining their crown.
Die Roten were firmly in the race for Wirtz before he opted to join Liverpool, and the German superstar has ample time to get up to speed with Slot’s demands before the start of the 2025–26 season.
Many expected Wirtz to be involved at Deepdale on Sunday, but the new arrival wasn’t included in Slot’s travelling 25-man squad. The creative midfielder is said to have had a disrupted start to preseason and wasn’t deemed ready to play. The likes of Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Alexis Mac Allister also didn’t feature for the Reds.
Liverpool are next in action on Saturday, July 26 against Milan in Hong Kong—the first leg of their preseason tour in the Far East. Wirtz thus has 12 days to build his fitness up further, and many will now expect that fixture to be the German’s first outing in his new colours.
When Can Florian Wirtz Make His Competitive Debut?
Liverpool’s first official match of the 2025–26 campaign is the traditional season curtain-raiser of the Community Shield. As Premier League champions, the Reds are poised to battle it out with their FA Cup counterparts Crystal Palace at Wembley on August, 10.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as When Will Florian Wirtz Make His Liverpool Debut?.
