Summer signing Roberto Firmino scored a hat-trick in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Welsh club The New Saints at Liverpool’s training ground yesterday.

The Brazil international is some weeks behind most of his team-mates in terms of fitness having joined pre-season late because of his participation in the Copa America.

Firmino was given his competitive debut with a 12-minute outing in Sunday’s 1-0 Premier League win at Stoke City – but Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers felt the 23-year-old, signed from Hoffenheim for an initial £22 million with a potential £7 million of add-ons, and other players short on match practice needed extra work.

Those included Liverpool’s other goalscorers in a 5-1 win over TNS – Danny Ings and Lazar Markovic.

Emre Can, who also returned to Melwood later after playing in the European Under-21 Championships but played for 27 minutes at the Britannia Stadium, also featured yesterday along with Adam Bogdan, Lucas Leiva, Alberto Moreno, Divock Origi, Jordan Rossiter, Mamadou Sakho and Kolo Toure.

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