Mohamed Salah partnership grows as key players missing - 4 things spotted in Liverpool training

Liverpool has already played Brighton once this week, with Arne Slot and Fabian Hurzeler expected to make wholesale changes to their line-ups once again in the Premier League.

The likes of Jarell Quansah and Joe Gomez got starts at the Amex Stadium, with Wataru Endo in midfield and Darwin Nunez rested after standing in three times in a row for the injured Diogo Jota. That will undoubtedly change when the starting XI is confirmed for Liverpool taking on the Seagulls this time around.

Ahead of the game, with little preparation time between matches but both teams in the same situation, Liverpool has been training in Kirkby, with Slot overseeing the session. Here's what Liverpool.com spotted.

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Hitting the gym

The Liverpool players did some work in the gym first, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah pictured going through some basic exercises. Caoimhin Kelleher and Viteszlav Jaros were among those involved in that part of the session, too, with the Irishman set to regain his place in the team this weekend having been rested midweek.

Alisson Becker, of course, is still missing at the moment for Liverpool. There is no exact timeline on when he might return just yet, but it will not be until after the international break. "The fact is that they are not there before the international break and let’s see if they can join us after," Slot said during his pre-match press conference.

Friday fun but four missing

Among the different activities that the Liverpool players were filmed undertaking was some football tennis, with Gomez and Ibrahima Konate among those who had to complete a forfeit for missing their shots. Konate and Curtis Jones were also pictured with a basketball hoop.

Given the short turnaround between matches, nothing too physically exerting was ever going to take place this week. For the next three months or so, the schedule is going to be relentless. The time for real hard-hitting stuff on the grass has already passed, though Liverpool is showing few signs of that holding it back so far this season.

That will mean getting more players back will be vital. As well as Alisson, Diogo Jota, Harvey Elliott and Federico Chiesa will all be out until after the next international break, missing fixtures with Brighton, Bayer Leverkusen and Aston Villa. Bradley and Quansah trained separately from the main group but were both at the AXA Training Centre.

Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez link-up

When Salah and Nunez linked up against Arsenal at the Emirates last weekend to secure the equalizing goal, that was the 15th top-flight goal that they have combined for in Liverpool colors. They are already in the top 10 for the Reds when it comes to the most productive partnerships that the club has ever seen.

Sadio Mane and Salah combined 22 times while playing for Liverpool, while Firmino and Salah got 25 as a pairing. While Nunez has not always been the most prolific and ruthless, his goalscoring numbers have never been that bad.

They linked up here in one training drill with Nunez finding the back of the net in a training drill. With Jota still sidelined, they are almost certain to be in the starting XI against Brighton having been rested midweek, where the pair could further build on their already impressive partnership.

Team spirits high

Liverpool has won 12 of its 14 matches so far under Slot, who watched the session unfold outside on the grass. And that is reflected in the relaxed mood around the AXA Training Centre at the moment.

Konate and Salah were filmed leaping into each other's arms while Kostas Tsimikas joined a pile-on when Gomez was beaten in the football tennis contest. For those in the starting XI and those hoping to break into it more often, spirits are high.

And why shouldn't they be? Given the form that Liverpool is in right now — and also how sustainable it feels — there is a feel-good factor. Another win against Brighton would only underline that even further.