Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo return to Liverpool training as pre-season plan takes shape

Liverpool duo Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo reported for duty at the club’s AXA Training Centre base on Tuesday after being granted additional time off following the World Cup

Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo began their pre-season preparations at Liverpool’s AXA Training Centre on Tuesday morning.

The Netherlands internationals, alongside goalkeeper Alisson Becker, were granted additional time off by head coach Andoni Iraola following their World Cup exertions.

Van Dijk and Gakpo were part of the Oranje side that were beaten on penalties by Morocco at the last-32 stage of the World Cup last month and while Liverpool players are typically given three weeks off after international tournaments, the pair were granted extra leave.

Instead of flying to the United States to meet their club colleagues ahead of Wednesday’s pre-season friendly with Wrexham at Yankee Stadium, both Gakpo and captain Van Dijk have now returned to action at the Reds’ £50m training base in Kirkby.

It’s thought that Gakpo was granted further time off on compassionate grounds after his partner, Noa van de Bij, announced a pregnancy loss on social media last month.

Van Dijk, meanwhile, turned 35 earlier this month and played 5,841 minutes last season before featuring in all four of the Netherlands’ games at the World Cup.

The pair reported for duty on Tuesday to begin pre-season testing and are expected to be named in the side that hosts Monaco at Anfield in a pre-season friendly on August 9.

The Reds then meet Italian side Como in back-to-back games at Anfield a week later, with the first of those two being played behind closed doors.

Fellow Netherlands international Ryan Gravenberch, however, returned to the fold with the squad in Chicago earlier this week alongside Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.

All three started training at Chicago Fire’s Endeavour Performance Centre and could play a part against Championship side Wrexham in New York this week.

“I think I had three weeks and I spent it well with my family,” Gravenberch told the club’s official website. “I enjoyed the holidays. So yeah, I’m recharged now. I think in my whole holiday I haven’t thought about football.

“I was just spending time with my family because it was a long season, also with the World Cup. So I had in my head, ‘Just let me enjoy my holiday and when I have to come back I will be back.’

“I think everyone is happy. Everyone is happy to be here [in the United States]. I spoke with a few of the lads and they said the training sessions are really nice. They are intense as well, but really nice. So, yeah, everyone is excited, I think.”