Liverpool fans hoping to see Roberto Firmino’s first appearance in a Liverpool shirt might have to wait a little longer it seems, with this report from the Echo suggesting that our new signing will miss our upcoming pre-season tour.
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Firmino, along with international teammate Philippe Coutinho, won’t travel to the Far East or Australia next month due to Brazil’s continued participation in the Copa America. The pair will instead be granted an extended break in order to fully recover in time for the start of the new season.
Emre Can, who is currently with Germany’s Under-21s at the European Championships in the Czech Republic, is in a similar position and will also be granted a well-deserved holiday period.
Can’s absence is likely to have more of an impact than that of his two teammates, who are all but guaranteed their places in our starting eleven. The German is hoping to establish himself as a midfielder, rather than a defender, over the next twelve months (via the Daily Mail), and our pre-season games would have been a fantastic opportunity to prove a point.
As the Echo confirms, Liverpool fly out to Bangkok on July 12 and face the Thai All Stars on July 14 before moving on Down Under. They have matches against Brisbane Roar (July 17) and Adelaide (July 20) before stopping off in Kuala Lumpur on the way home to take on a Malaysia XI on July 24.
The afore mentioned trio will then join up with the squad for any remaining friendlies and the start of the new season – which begins on August 8 against Stoke City.