Liverpool begin their pre-season with a trip to Preston on Sunday for the Reds’ first match since the passing of Diogo Jota.

Preston vs. Liverpool

Friendly (1) | Deepdale
July 13, 2025 | 3pm (BST)

An unfathomably sad period in Reds history has unfolded over the past week, following the tragic death of Jota.

It’s now a case of Liverpool trying to move on in the most respectable manner possible, starting with Sunday’s trip to Preston.

Here’s all you need to know ahead of the first friendly of the summer.

1. Tributes for Diogo Jota

It will be an emotional visit to Deepdale and plans have been announced to honour the lives of Jota and his brother Andre ahead of kickoff.

Preston have requested all supporters to be in their seats by 2.45pm as singer Claudia Rose Maguire will perform renditions of Elvis Presley’s ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’ and Liverpool anthem ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’.

Representatives of Liverpool and Preston – likely including captain Virgil van Dijk – will lay wreaths in front of the away end, known as the Bill Shankly Kop.

Deepdale will observe a minute’s silence before kickoff while tributes will be displayed on the big screen and pitchside LEDs and players on both sides will wear black armbands.

Preston have also produced a free special edition of their matchday programme in tribute to Diogo and Andre, with further tributes expected in the stands throughout the afternoon.

2. New signings and who could feature

Seeing new signings is usually one of the highlights of pre-season, and there could be as many as five fresh faces on show for Liverpool at Deepdale.

Florian Wirtz is the star attraction, following his move to Anfield for a British transfer record fee of £116 million.

The German isn’t the only new addition, though, with Giorgi Mamardashvili, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez also joining this summer.

For Frimpong, it is a chance to show that he is a well-suited, right-sided option, while Kerkez will be looking to prove that he is now a superior option to Andy Robertson.

Meanwhile, Freddie Woodman has joined Liverpool from Preston, meaning the goalkeeper could potentially come up against his former club.

Possible squad members:

Goalkeepers: Alisson, Mamardashvili, Woodman, Pecsi

Defenders: Van Dijk, Konate, Gomez, Bradley, Frimpong, Kerkez, Robertson, Tsimikas, Beck, Nallo

Midfielders: Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Jones, Endo, Elliott*, Morton*, McConnell, Nyoni

Forwards: Salah, Gakpo, Nunez, Diaz, Chiesa, Doak, Danns

* Doubtful

3. Final game for some players?

There has been speculation around certain Liverpool players leaving this summer, joining Trent Alexander-Arnold, Caoimhin Kelleher and Jarell Quansah out of the exit door.

Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez spring to mind first – the South American pair have been linked with moves to Bayern Munich and Napoli, respectively.

At this point, it would be a surprise if both players were still at Liverpool come the start of the season, and this could even be one of their final games for the club if fit to feature.

Federico Chiesa‘s future is also in doubt, as is James McConnell‘s, but both will be wanting to show Slot that they are worth sticking with.

Harvey Elliott and Tyler Morton are linked with exits and they are both back with the squad after winning the European Under-21 Championships with England.

4. Youngsters looking to shine

Slot has big decisions to make with several players this summer, not least the young contingent.

The futures of Stefan Bajcetic, Ben Doak and Jayden Danns are all up in the air, but they will hope to make a flying start to pre-season.

Unfortunately for Bajcetic, he is still recovering from hamstring surgery, but Doak and Danns may hope to avoid being loaned out again.

That said, there is far from a guarantee that any of them will still be Liverpool players come the end of August.

5. No new kit…for now

Liverpool’s kit deal with Nike doesn’t expire until the end of July, so we won’t get to see the new strip just yet – instead, Slot’s side will be donning a 2024/25 kit.

The Reds will be back in an Adidas kit from the beginning of August, meaning they won’t don it this weekend or for the tour of Hong Kong and Japan.

6. Who else do Liverpool play in pre-season?

This is the first of six pre-season friendlies for Liverpool, ahead of the defence of their Premier League title.

Next up after Preston is a clash with AC Milan in Hong Kong on July 26, before the Reds take on Yokohama FM in Japan on July 30.

Anfield hosts its first matches on August 4, with two different XIs facing Athletic Bilbao in a double-header.

Then comes the Community Shield meeting with Crystal Palace on August 10, prior to the Premier League opener at home to Bournemouth on August 15.

7. What’s happened at Preston this summer?

It was a 2024/25 campaign to forget for Preston, who ended up finishing 20th in the Championship.

Their last victory came in the middle of March and they are again expected to be among the stragglers at the bottom of the table.

Paul Heckingbottom’s side have lost Woodman to Liverpool, as mentioned, but new signings have arrived including Brighton right-back Odeluga Offiah.

The visit of the Reds is always a prestigious occasion for them and they will be looking to spring a surprise at Deepdale in what is their third game of the summer.

8. Did you know?

This is the second year in a row that Liverpool are facing Preston in a pre-season friendly.

Last summer, the Championship outfit won 1-0 in a behind-closed-doors friendly at the AXA Training Centre in Slot’s first ‘unofficial’ friendly, with Robbie Brady scoring the only goal.

Liverpool last played at Deepdale in a friendly in 2023 – they won 3-1 against Darmstadt in pre-season.

9. Follow the match with TIA

Preston vs. Liverpool is live on both ITV1 and LFCTV from 2.30pm on Sunday, with kickoff at 3pm.

Alternatively, This Is Anfield‘s first live blog of the season will be running, with Sam Millne in the chair from 2.30pm.

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Newcastle are known to be ‘keen’ on striker Hugo Ekitike, also of interest to Liverpool, and now a fresh report states Eddie Howe’s side are “hoping to finally” land the Frenchman.

The No. 9 market is a pricey and reactive one this summer, with Liverpool firmly in the mix as Darwin Nunez prepares to leave Anfield.

Alexander Isak is the dream target, which is of no surprise to anyone, but Newcastle have firmly maintained that their talisman will not be sold, even if they sign another striker this summer.

Earlier this week, transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano named Newcastle as one of the clubs “keen” on Eintracht Frankfurt’s Ekitike, who Liverpool have also been linked to.

Now the Telegraph‘s Luke Edwards, their leading Newcastle reporter, has stated on X that Howe is “hoping to finally land” Ekitike in a “huge statement of ambition.”

Newcastle have “made the player’s representatives aware of their desire” to secure Ekitike’s signature and “will hope to agree a fee with the Bundesliga club.”

Edwards’ report also seeks to maintain the Magpies’ stance that they have no interest in selling Isak and want Ekitike to act as competition and cover for the Swede.

From a Liverpool perspective, though, Newcastle‘s pursuit of Frankfurt’s striker could be seen as a bid to replace Isak, as if the Reds’ interest in the Frenchman is genuine, they would not allow a free run at a No. 9 that they also want.

There is also a consideration for how much the Magpies can realistically spend on a new backup striker after agreeing a £55 million deal for Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga amid a pursuit for goalkeeper James Trafford.

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A sale of Isak would be in the region of £150 million, almost enough to wipe out the transfer fees of Elanga, Trafford and Ekitike.

There is also the other thought process that Newcastle are pushing the Ekitike narrative to get Liverpool to blink first so they forget their Isak interest and pursue an alternate target.

Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards have shown they are patient enough to play the waiting game and if they were to get any sense Isak wants to push for a move, they will act – for now, the game of chess continues.

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Stefan Bajcetic is back with the Liverpool squad but remains sidelined after undergoing surgery, with Ben Doak on the other hand to be available for the first friendly at Preston.

The Spaniard spent the second half of last season on loan at Las Palmas and a pre-season opportunity was expected, only for hamstring surgery at the end of May to put that in doubt.

Bajcetic travelled to Finland to receive treatment from renowned surgeon Lasse Lempainen, and it remains entirely possible he could miss the entirety of the summer programme.

He is continuing his rehabilitation at the AXA Training Centre and thus will not be included in the squad that faces Preston at Deepdale on Sunday.

If his recovery time is similar to Joe Gomez‘s, who required nearly three months to return from his hamstring surgery, then Bajcetic would be looking at an August return.

He has been attracting interest for a permanent transfer, but his injury will understandably turn off potential suitors.

As for Doak, he has recovered from thigh surgery in March to return to training, with the Echo reporting he will be available for Arne Slot at Deepdale.

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The 19-year-old faces an uncertain future at Anfield with Jeremie Frimpong adding further competition on the right-hand side – Everton are among the clubs interested in signing him permanently.

Whether he will be involved remains to be seen but his return to fitness is a boost as he considers the next step in his career.

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Liverpool have had an understandably muted return to training as the club mourns the passing of Diogo Jota, leaving plenty of uncertainty over who may be involved in the first friendly.

New signings Florian Wirtz, Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Freddie Woodman and Armin Pecsi are with the main group, with each of the outfielders likely to feature.

Trey Nyoni and James McConnell are similarly in contention, while the Echo states Harvey Elliott and Tyler Morton are yet to return to training despite being pictured with the squad on Friday.

Tributes will be paid to honour Jota and Andre Silva prior to kickoff on Sunday, including wreaths, black armbands and a minute’s silence.

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