Arne Slot provides Virgil van Dijk and Alisson updates as Liverpool stars miss friendlies

Liverpool manager Arne Slot expects both Virgil van Dijk and Alisson to be available for the Community Shield after the duo missed the Reds' final pre-season friendlies. Van Dijk and Alisson were absent as Liverpool hosted Athletic Bilbao for two back-to-back games at Anfield on Monday.

Slot confirmed pre-match that captain Van Dijk was ill. As for Alisson, the goalkeeper had been forced to leave the Reds' pre-season tour of Asia early for 'private reasons' and didn't return for the Anfield double-header.

Liverpool won 4-1 and 3-2 respectively and now their focus turns to the Community Shield against Crystal Palace on Sunday. While fellow absentees Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley might not feature at Wembley, Slot revealed that Van Dijk and Alisson should be on the teamsheet.

Asked if the quartet were at risk of missing the clash with Palace, the Reds boss replied: "Virgil normally not. Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley, it's going to be tight. Alisson will be back in time as well."

Alisson's wife, Natalia, has seemingly confirmed that the reason he returned home from the Far East was because she'd had an operation. "Post op pic portrait of a real life," Natalia posted on Instagram.

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"Now I'm recovering at home. Thank God, to the wonderful team that served me and all the love I received, everything is evolving well. Thanks to all who sent messages."

In good news on the pitch, Slot was pleased with his team's two performances against their opponents from La Liga - even if they weren't as clinical as he'd have liked. "I think in both games we created a lot of chances, scored seven goals - four in the first, three in the second - so that's very pleasing to see because we definitely didn't score every chance we had," the Liverpool manager said post-match.

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"Especially in the second game in the first half, I think we could have scored a few goals more than we did. So that pleased me most, the ability to create the chances and even to score seven goals over two games is also good."

After making the trip to Wembley for a chance to win the first trophy of the new season, Liverpool will host Bournemouth on Friday, August 15 to begin their Premier League title defence. Following that, the Reds play Newcastle away and Arsenal at home prior to the international break.

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