Liverpool head to Turkey on Tuesday evening for the Champions League last-16 first leg against Galatasaray. The team advanced to the FA Cup quarter-finals on Friday evening with a 3-1 win over Wolves, with goals from Andrew Robertson, Mohamed Salah, and Curtis Jones. Ahead of the Champions League fixture, manager Arne Slot conducted an open training session before the media on Monday.
Sky Sports News broadcast sections of Liverpool's training, including a moment where Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai tossed a medicine ball over a goal to each other. Tim Sherwood criticized this footage, saying, 'What was that? incredible.
It baffles me. That's nonsense. ' The full context or purpose of the medicine ball exercise remains unclear.
Federico Chiesa was a notable absentee from Liverpool's open training session. Arne Slot is anticipated to deliver an update on Federico Chiesa's condition when he addresses the media in Istanbul on Monday evening, though the specific reason for his absence is unknown. Florian Wirtz participated in training, having returned in the FA Cup triumph against Wolves.
Wirtz had been sidelined for the previous three matches with a back problem but could make his first start since February 14, though it is uncertain if he will start against Galatasaray. Liverpool suffered a 1-0 loss to Galatasaray earlier this season. Regarding the upcoming match, Arne Slot told TNT Sports, 'Difficult.
That is what you expect in the last 16, because every team you are going to face is difficult because they are there for a reason. What makes it even more [difficult] for us is to know that we have already played there and we have lost. It’s a very good team and they have very good players.
But the whole atmosphere makes it different from any other away game I’ve ever played.