Liverpool 31-man USA pre-season squad for Sunderland 2026

Key Points

• Liverpool have confirmed a 31-man squad for their USA pre-season tour under new head coach Andoni Iraola.
• The group has departed for Chicago, where the club will base its two-week training camp ahead of friendlies in Nashville, New York and Chicago.
• Six injured players are included—Vitezslav Jaros, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, Stefan Bajcetic, Wataru Endo and Hugo Ekitike—but are not expected to feature in matches.
• Senior players who competed in the 2026 World Cup are set to join later in the week and next week as the tour progresses.
• New £60m centre-back Jeremy Jacquet, returning duo Harvey Elliott and Kostas Tsimikas, plus Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones and Rio Ngumoha are among the headline names.
• Academy prospects including 16-year-old Josh Abe, Lewis Koumas, James McConnell, Josh Sonni-Lambie, Will Wright and Kieran Morrison are in the travelling party.
• New centre-back Ifeanyi Ndukwe is included; Jayden Danns misses out due to injury, while Mor Talla Ndiaye has not yet travelled but may link up later.

Liverpool (Liverpool standard) July 20, 2026 – It have confirmed a 31-man squad for their pre-season tour of the United States, with the party departing for Chicago on Monday to begin a two-week training camp ahead of three friendlies against Sunderland, Wrexham and Leeds United. As reported by the Liverpool Echo, the group includes six injured players goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros, defenders Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni, midfielders Stefan Bajcetic and Wataru Endo, and forward Hugo Ekitike who will undertake rehabilitation work in the US but are not expected to take part in the matches.

The Reds will face Sunderland at GEODIS Park in Nashville on July 25, Wrexham at Yankee Stadium in New York on July 29, and Leeds United at Soldier Field in Chicago on August 2, as part of the Summer Soccer Series promoted by TEG Sport. While the initial party is a youthful blend of senior squad members and academy prospects, players who featured in the 2026 World Cup are due to arrive later this week and next week, with Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Ryan Gravenberch expected to link up ahead of the second game and Alisson Becker potentially returning for the final fixture, according to the BBC.

What is in Liverpool’s 31-man USA pre-season squad list?

The full 31-man list, published in squad-number order by the BBC and Liverpool Echo, is: Gomez, Endo, Jacquet, Kerkez, Szoboszlai, Bradley, Chiesa, Leoni, Jones, Elliott, Tsimikas, Ekitike, Mamardashvili, Woodman, Frimpong, Abe, Nyoni, Bajcetic, Chambers, Ramsay, Scanlon, McConnell, Jaros, Koumas, Morrison, Ngumoha, Wright, Hall, Sonni-Lambie, Ndukwe, Davies.

Among those expected to feature prominently are new £60 million centre-back Jeremy Jacquet and the returning Harvey Elliott and Kostas Tsimikas, per the Liverpool Echo’s coverage. Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones and Rio Ngumoha are highlighted as headline names for supporters in the US to watch closely, while 16-year-old Josh Abe travels alongside academy players James McConnell, Lewis Koumas, Josh Sonni-Lambie and Will Wright. New centre-back signing Ifeanyi Ndukwe is also in the group, with full-backs Luke Chambers, Calum Scanlon and Calvin Ramsay completing a broad defensive contingent.

Which injured players are included and why are they travelling?

As reported by the Liverpool Echo, the inclusion of six injured players is a deliberate decision by new head coach Andoni Iraola to maximise team bonding and ensure continuity in rehabilitation during the two-week camp. The six—Jaros, Bradley, Leoni, Bajcetic, Endo and Ekitike—will train under medical supervision but are not scheduled to play in the friendlies, the outlet adds

The BBC notes that the broader squad strategy is designed to integrate returning World Cup internationals progressively, with the expectation that the group available for the second and third fixtures will be stronger as key players arrive.

Which academy players and new signings are in the travelling party?

Beyond Jacquet and Ndukwe, the travelling party emphasises youth development. As outlined by the Liverpool Echo, Under-21s captain and top scorer Kieran Morrison will seek to make an impression on the right wing, while 18-year-old Will Wright could see extended minutes given the limited senior attacking options beyond Federico Chiesa. Academy forward Josh Sonni-Lambie is also included, and the BBC’s published list confirms the presence of defenders Luke Chambers, Calum Scanlon and Calvin Ramsay alongside midfielders Trey Nyoni and James McConnell.

Mor Talla Ndiaye has not yet travelled but there are hopes he can join later in the week, whereas Jayden Danns misses out after suffering a setback in his recovery from a long-term hamstring issue, according to the Liverpool Echo.liverpoolecho.

Where will Liverpool base their camp and what are the friendlies?

The club will operate from Chicago during the two-week camp, with fixtures in three cities: Nashville, New York and Chicago. As reported by AS, the Reds open against Sunderland at GEODIS Park in Nashville on July 25, then face Wrexham at Yankee Stadium in New York on July 29, before concluding the US leg against Leeds United at Soldier Field in Chicago on August 2. The tour is part of the Summer Soccer Series, promoted by TEG Sport, which brings together English clubs for matches in major US venues.

Background: How did Liverpool’s 2026 pre-season plans develop?

Liverpool’s pre-season structure was set in motion in early March 2026, when the club announced the three US friendlies against Sunderland, Wrexham and Leeds as part of their preparations for the 2026–27 campaign. The schedule was confirmed in a club statement shared on social media and subsequently reported by multiple outlets, including AS and BBC Sport, which noted the return to the United States for the first time in two years.

In the weeks leading up to departure, reporting focused on squad availability in the context of the 2026 World Cup. As covered by BBC Sport and Sports Mole, only a small number of Liverpool players—such as Alexis Mac Allister, Victor Munoz and Alisson Becker—were involved in the latter stages of the tournament, meaning most of the squad would be available for pre-season work. The arrival of new head coach Andoni Iraola added further interest, with media tracking which players would report on day one and which would integrate later.

The finalisation of the 31-man list reflects a balance between competitive preparation and player welfare, with injured members included for continuity in their recovery and younger players given exposure to first-team environments.

Prediction: How could this squad selection affect Liverpool fans and US supporters?

For Liverpool supporters, the composition of the 31-man group signals Iraola’s intent to assess youth options while managing the workload of returning internationals. Fans in the US who attend the Nashville, New York and Chicago fixtures are likely to see a mix of established names such as Szoboszlai and Jones alongside emerging talents like Abe, Koumas and Morrison, offering an early view of potential squad depth for the 2026–27 season.bbc+2

If the pattern of staggered arrivals holds, the first match against Sunderland may feature a more experimental line-up, with stronger combinations possible against Wrexham and Leeds as World Cup players integrate. For US-based supporters, this could mean the later fixtures provide a closer approximation of the starting XI expected in the Premier League, enhancing the value of attending or watching those games.