Arne Slot is gearing up to take charge of his first pre-season at Liverpool.
Hopefully it will be the first of many for Slot with the Reds, as he looks to guide the club into the post-Jurgen Klopp era.
After making a really good first impression in his first interview with Liverpool, Slot is now fully down to work at the AXA Training Centre.
With so many players away at the Copa America and Euro 2024, it perhaps isn’t an ideal time for a new beginning to start at Anfield. But whatever the circumstances, it would be a challenge for the new head coach.
As a result, Slot could really do with all the luck he can find. And unfortunately, it now looks as though he’s about to receive some disappointing news ahead of pre-season.
Arne Slot set for Wataru Endo ‘blow’
Liverpool have 14 members of the first-team squad out on international duty this summer. That’s a massive chunk of the team.
Going through those dozen and more players, there are some really key names as well.
Of the players left to come back to the AXA for the first day of pre-season, there are still some notable ones. Mohamed Salah, for example, is presently expected back for Slot’s first day.
However, there is still the spectre of yet another international football tournament lingering over the likes of Salah this summer.
READ MORE: What insiders are saying about Wataru Endo’s future at Liverpool this summer
As well as Copa America and Euro 2024, the Olympics are also set to take place in July. Frustratingly, this could see Slot lose another couple of players.
According to journalist David Lynch on X, midfielder Wataru Endo is expected to be called up for Japan, with Egypt still ‘keen’ to have Salah as one of their designated over 23 players, too.
“Liverpool facing a potential blow to their preparations for the new season with Wataru Endo expecting to be released to take part in the Olympics should he be called up by Japan,” Lynch reports. “Egypt also keen for Mohamed Salah to be involved.
“It would be a blow to Liverpool, there’s just no getting away from that,” the journalist follows up.
When do the summer Olympics take place?
When it rains it pours in terms of international football. Slot must be privately cursing the timing of his start at Liverpool.
Although there will still be plenty of players to work with on day one at the AXA, the Dutchman will have to wait until pretty much the start of the season to have all of his squad together.
The Olympics are scheduled to place in Paris this summer, running from July the 26th to August the 11th.
Although a delight for sports fans following the Euros and Copa America, it will no doubt be an annoyance to managers across the world.
The men’s football gold medal match is scheduled to take place on Friday the 9th of August, just one week and one day before Liverpool’s tricky Premier League opener against Ipswich.
With Endo and quite possibly Salah being indisposed until then, don’t expect to see them at Portman Road. Another headache for Slot before he even starts.