Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp admits his team face an "interesting challenge" in the preseason with a mix of missing World Cup players and new arrivals.
Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Xherdan Shaqiri and Jordan Henderson are just a few of the names who have yet to join up with Klopp's team after playing for their countries in Russia.
"I love the preseason, but I really loved the good old preseason when you had all players together and you can train from the first day," Klopp said.
"In this moment we miss three or four offensive players. Firmino, Mo, Sadio and Shaq. It means an interesting challenge. Hendo [Jordan Henderson] is not in, Trent [Alexander-Arnold] is not in, Simon [Mignolet] is not in and Dejan [Lovren] will be the latest to come back.
"In terms of squad planning, I am really fine. In terms of football, we are in a good way but not where we want to be. A lot will come once the other boys are back. We will be fine at the end."
The Liverpool boss also admitted that players would need to be sold to accommodate some of the new arrivals like Naby Keita, Fabinho and Shaqiri, but he knocked back suggestions that last year's players would feel their places were threatened by new teammates.
"The team and squad is in a really good moment. We had the situation where we had 12 [senior] players [fit] -- they know we need the depth in the squad. It is not like they say, 'Bring in another midfielder? Why? We are all still here.'
"They know we need the quality and they know that if we win something here then we will win it with 25 players.
"In the whole period in the last two months of the season this club and this team came closer together because we had to fight like crazy. What the boys did in those last two months was exceptional.
"Of course we have to [sell players]. We cannot go with 35-40 players. We need a lot of players but not 40."