Full injury updates, return to pre-season plans & MORE | Andoni Iraola Press Conference

Hi, Andoni.You've flown out here with a youthful squad.At what point in the trip are you expecting Isak, Wurtz and Gravenberg to join up?

Yes, as you said, the three players that are going to join us will be, like, second week fully with us.I think I've decided now with the ones that have been left out or have been disqualified from the World Cup, they all have, like, because of different reasons, like individual days for their arrivals.I think the sooner we can start working with them and they can understand what we want from them, the better.I individually talked to the three of them.They know the main things, but I'm looking forward to have them here with the group and to go slowly, slowly recovering bodies, yes.

And just with Virgil, Cody and Alisson, is that right they won't be involved on this tour?And if that's the case, what's the thinking behind that?

Yes, they will in terms of days of training will be very similar, but they will start training just at the AXA in Liverpool.We thought because of different reasons, especially Virgil because he has been the player with more minutes in Europe, I would say, and I think they are going to start, and Kody also for other reasons, and they are going to start training basically the same week as the others, but instead of making them come here with the team, I consider that it was sensible with them to start the first week training in a small group or even with younger players there at the AXA and join us when we recover.

Donny, there's a few players with you here that are injured.How far into the season are you expecting?the likes of Ekotike, Bradley, Leone, Endoli, these sorts of people?

Yes, right now we have different situations in terms of injuries, the three that you said that are like big, big injuries, it's taken them months to recover and then apart from those three we have Estefan and Guattaro that are close to getting to train with the group.They will start in this, even in this tour, Stéphane and Guattaro training, not fully maybe, but partially with the group.With the others, we'll have to wait more.In terms of order, I think the closest one to return is Leone.After, it'll be Conor and Hugo, but especially the last two, still, we are talking about months and still a lot of time out there.

Hello, Coach.Adam with LMD Media Group.Just how important are these friendlies during the summer just for you to gain a better understanding about your new club and also the players to earn your respect for their spot on the pitch?

I think the pre -season is always the foundation of what's going to be a long season but when you arrive to a new club it's even more important because you don't have a lot of training sessions, you don't have a lot of even friendlies.We are playing five friendlies before the season starts so every training session, every pre -season friendly for us is massive.It's massive because sometimes we lack days of training properly, of training with all the group of players.So everything that we can get from every friendly we play, we have to use it properly because we want to arrive in a good spot on the first day of the season and at the end the best training is always the friendly you play.

You've obviously had some big -name players who've left the club since the end of last season.You said last week you know that you need to add numbers to this group.I'm just wondering, do you have a number on how many you need?Has there been any progress on that since we last heard from you last week?

No, I think it's difficult to say a number when the market is open and you have to be always open to new options to improve the squad and there are obvious situations that we know that we need to sign players, for example.We definitely need to sign a winger.But there are other situations that we will have to analyse.What the market gives you, what's the cost, how we also see the players we have.We have some, I said the other day, some tricky positions where we have like injured players that we trust but still not the ideal situation so it will depend a little bit on a lot of things.

There was a lot of speculation regarding Alisson's future towards the end of last season and even though you haven't met him face to face have you spoken to him about his future and are you certain that he will be Liverpool player next year and you're number one?

I'm very happy with the situation we have right now in the the goalkeeping area.I think we have Alisson, we have Giorgi, and now we are going to send on, for example, Armin, play keepers that probably are in another phase, but have the guarantee of those keepers that already, because of different reasons also, the three of them, Fredi played some games past season, I think,it's a guarantee for us.Alisson is someone also in a changing room that has lost some references in terms of experience.I think he's someone that definitely will help us in this process of adaptation of the new signings, of the new players, the young players.We need the references like Virgil, like Alisson, like Joe Gomez.

players that have been here for a long time and I'm sure we will have these healthy players.

We've seen in recent years a lot of players' form can be affected by long summers, tournaments and the World Cup last year for example.Are you confident that all your guys who played in the World Cup will be available when the Premier League season starts and is that something you're going to have to deal with carefully to make sure they can get a full Premier League season in?

Yes, at the end I think the most difficult situations logically will be Alexis and Victor because they played until the end of the tournament so basically I think they deserve the the holidays also, some rest, and I hope they have time, at least to train with us a little bit.But it's true that it will probably affect a little bit the beginning of the season.But we cannot only think in the short term, the first game against Newcastle, we have to also understand, especially in the case of Alexis, that has played a lot of minutes during the season, a lot of minutes in the World Cup, they deserve this rest but I would say all the others should be fine to arrive in perfect conditions to the first game, yes.

Hi Andoni, you mentioned Connor and said he's a way off returning, right back was quite a problematic position last season, there were a lot of injuries, a lot of different players playing there, is it something that you want to maybe address in the market ordo you think it's something that you could do internally?

I think it depends on the situation.If you have a fully fit, healthy Conor Bradley, we are very happy, ready to go and we would not be asking ourselves these questions.I think it's a situation that is tricky.because we trust Conor in the long term.We know we want him to be our right back, but right now he's still, I would say, a little bit far from returning.So, with the centre -back, with the right -back situation, in terms of defensive depth, we are, I think, very thin right now.

So, I think it's a solution that we are trying to find, yes.

Paul Banks, TheSportsBank .net.I wanted to ask about the significance of Dominic committing his future to the club and if you could see him as potentially being a future captain or serving in a prominent...Sorry, I didn't understand the name.

Who are you talking about?Dominic's...Oh, okay, sure, yes.

Yeah, if he could be, you know, future captain or serve in a leadership role, you know, for a long time coming.

I think it's...One of the probably greatest news since I arrived.His commitment to this club, his contract renewal, also he has come in great shape.He has been leading by example in training, he's pushing a lot.I think young players should be looking at him, the way he's training, he competes.and definitely has to be one of our leaders.

I'm looking forward to have him in my team, to try to use him in the best way, try to help him feel comfortable.try to make him continue the same way he's having because I think he had a very good season past, and even if we can even improve what he's already doing.

And only just a little variation on that, there is a position ready for a vice -captain, is that something you've thought about for Dominic or is it something you will address later on in pre -season?

Yeah, I will address because I still haven't met almost half of the squad.You know, I still haven't seen them face to face.So I think we will take the decisions when it happens.But I always say, you don't need to wear an armband to be a leader, to be a captain.Sometimes I understand here in England it has a lot of meaning, there is a lot behind, but had a lot of captains, leaders, without wearing the armband, you know?One thing is okay, to be there is nice in the picture and this, but you can lead a team, you can be a an important player.

You can be not just because one wears has to be like, no, no, we need more than one or two.We say captains.We need a lot of captains in the beach.We need as many as we want as we can.Sorry.And yes, I'm sure that whatever the decisions we we take in terms of of the armband, a lot of players will continue leading.

Yes.

And can I just just check there is I think Alexis has been one of the best players of the club last year.

He has done a very good World Cup and it's normal that other clubs want our best players, our good players.It always happens in other markets.Also, as other clubs want, I want to keep my good players.Probably I'm looking forward more to signing new players than losing the ones we have.

Hey, Coach.Speaking of Spain, I know that there's going to be five coaches now in the Premier League, I think, from Spain this season, and you're friends with Xabi Alonso.How special is it to have him as a competitor, and I know also Hotete, to be from the same area of basketball?

Yes, they are both very good friends.We know each other since we were seven, eight, nine.We've played in the same team, so it's a pleasure for me to compete against them.They are also very good coaches and the competition will be hard, but I think it's nice for all of us.Obviously, now that we are fighting and we are in charge of of very good clubs.Probably we will not communicate as much.

Everyone will do it their way, their job, but for me it's a pleasure to fight against managers that I consider also French.