Mohamed Salah will be one of the first to report back for pre-season at the AXA Training Centre on Friday, and the Liverpool forward is looking fitter than ever.
After featuring in Egypt’s World Cup qualifiers against Burkina Faso and Guinea-Bissau at the beginning of June, Salah took in a well-deserved summer break.
That did not stop the 32-year-old from focusing on his physique, however, and there will be no concerns over his fitness when he arrives for pre-season training on Friday.
A series of photos shared on Salah’s Instagram during his time off show the forward in outstanding shape, seemingly ready for a renewed challenge under Arne Slot.
Salah’s latest update shows him working on a treadmill in the gym, maintaining his fitness ahead of the lactate test at the start of preparations at the AXA.
After James Milner‘s departure last summer, Salah took up the mantle of Liverpool’s fittest player when it came to the annual tests, finishing top of his group while Dominik Szoboszlai led the other.
He can be expected to lead the pack again this time around, with the No. 11 one of around 16 first-team figures likely to be back for day one.
Liverpool will begin training on Friday, with two-and-a-half weeks spent on Merseyside before flying out to the United States on July 23 for the start of their pre-season tour.
Salah and Co. should be joined at various intervals by those currently on international duty, with Szoboszlai among the first due back following Hungary’s exit from the Euros.
But the Egyptian’s early start should allow him to make a headstart on his team-mates, having vowed to “fight like hell” for silverware in what could be his final season at Liverpool.
“We know that trophies are what count and we will do everything possible to make that happen next season,” he wrote on Twitter in May.
“Our fans deserve it and we will fight like hell.”
Salah’s contract is currently due to expire next summer, though talks over an extension are expected as Liverpool’s new hierarchy face a number of tough decisions.