With Germany and Wales having reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016, Liverpool are no longer expecting either Emre Can or Joe Allen to be involved in the club’s pre-season tour of North America that kicks off later this month. All the club’s other players, though, should be available by then.
Not so Can, Allen, or Danny Ward, who according to the Liverpool Echo will be given three weeks rest following the conclusion of their Euro campaigns. Allen, Ward, and Wales face Portugal on Wednesday with a chance to secure a historic trip to the finals. Then, Can and Germany take on France in the headlining semi-final.
That means that the earliest they could return would be on the 27th or 28th of the month if either Germany or Wales lose their upcoming semi-finals. Liverpool head to the United States to prepare for their pre-season tour on the 21st of July, though they don’t play their first game until the 28th, against Chelsea in Pasadena.
They then face AC Milan on the 30th in Santa Clara and Roma in St. Louis on August 1st, five days after the earliest either of Liverpool’s remaining Euro 2016 representatives could have returned to training. Based on past years, Can and Allen may not even head to the United States, instead training at Anfield separate from the team.
And of course, while Can’s future seems certain, Allen may not be a Liverpool player in a month, with the club having slapped a £14M valuation on him and suggesting they will look to sell so long as one central midfield reinforcement can be brought in. For his part, Allen appears to favour a move as he looks for more playing time.
Liverpool’s pre-season kicks off this Friday when the Reds take on Tranmere at Prenton Park, with a 7PM BST kickoff. They then face Fleetwood Town on the 13th, Wigan Athletic on the 17th, and Huddersfield Town on the 20th before leaving for America. All the club’s pre-season games will be shown on LFCTV.
