Programme notesAndoni Iraola on Liverpool v Como, pre-season progress and Ronald Araujo signing

The Reds complete their programme of summer friendlies with a double-header against Como 1907 on Sunday, with the first of those games to be played behind closed doors and the second a 6pm BST kick-off at Anfield.

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They are fixtures five and six respectively in charge for Iraola, with the Premier League opener away at Newcastle United now a little over a week away.

In his notes for Sunday’s matchday programme, the head coach writes: “This will be a very good, and very important, test for us as we finalise our preparations for the new Premier League season.

“Despite the result, last weekend’s game against Monaco brought plenty of positives and plenty of learnings for myself and my staff.

“The first half, and the first 30 minutes in particular, was very pleasing. It was good to see Alexander Isak getting on the scoresheet and looking sharp, and I saw a lot of good things both with and without the ball.

“The problem we had, as we had against Leeds in Chicago, was that we were not able to sustain our levels and that is something that can only happen with time, and with a lot of hard work on the training ground.

“I have spoken many times about the type of team I want to see on the pitch, about the intensity, the intent and the energy we are looking for, and while it is clear that there is still a lot of improvement to come, I believe that we are moving in the right direction and I expect that to continue in the coming days and weeks as the season gets under way.

“With Alexis Mac Allister having returned to the AXA Training Centre on Monday, we now have all of our players back after the World Cup, which is of course hugely beneficial.

“There is no doubt in my mind about the quality and the potential we have within our squad, and now it is up to us to show that on a consistent basis going forward.

“From a personal perspective, I would like to thank you all for the wonderful reception I received last weekend. It meant a lot, and hopefully we can give you lots to enjoy and to shout about, both on Sunday and beyond.”

Liverpool added Ronald Araujo to their squad on Monday, with the Uruguay defender joining on a season-long loan deal from FC Barcelona.

On his newest recruit, Iraola adds: “We have also been able to welcome a new signing to the club this week, with Ronald Araujo joining us on loan from Barcelona.

“We are, of course, very pleased to have added a player of such quality and experience, and I am sure he will settle in quickly and have a positive impact on our squad.”

• Pick up a copy of the matchday programme at Anfield on Sunday