Two wins from two. For a manager still finding his feet at one of the biggest clubs in European football, Andoni Iraola could hardly have asked for a smoother start to life on the touchline.

A 4-2 victory over Sunderland in Nashville was followed by a tighter but no less satisfying 1-0 win over Wrexham in New York, with Rio Ngumoha grabbing the only goal of that one. The pre-season tour of the United States is ticking along nicely. The mood in the camp, by all accounts, is good.

But Liverpool supporters are not the type to get too comfortable. While the wins have been welcome, there is a growing sense among the fanbase that the squad still needs significant reinforcement before the new Premier League season arrives. The name of Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola continues to circulate strongly in connection with a move to Anfield, and with Iraola sitting down in front of the media in Chicago, those questions were always going to come.

The Liverpool manager faced the press at the club's Chicago base, with Dominik Szoboszlai alongside him. The Hungarian midfielder captained the side against Wrexham and remains a serious candidate to take on the vice-captaincy role on a permanent basis. That vacancy has been one of the quieter talking points of the summer, but it is a decision that will need to be made before the serious business begins, and Szoboszlai's presence at the press conference only added fuel to the speculation that he is the frontrunner.

On Barcola and the broader transfer picture, Iraola's answers were always going to be watched closely. Liverpool's need for attacking reinforcement has been well documented, and with one of Europe's most exciting wide forwards consistently linked with a switch to Merseyside, supporters are understandably eager to hear even the faintest hint of progress. Whether Iraola was in a position to offer any will have been one of the more eagerly anticipated moments of the session.

There was also a more pressing injury matter to address. A correction emerged during the press conference coverage regarding a quote attributed to Iraola about Joe Gomez. What had initially been reported as a reference to a "massive injury" was in fact the manager describing a "muscle injury" — a significant clarification. The expectation, based on what Iraola indicated, is that Gomez will be sidelined for approximately a month. That timeline puts the defender's availability for the opening weekend of the new Premier League season in serious doubt.

It is the kind of setback that complicates pre-season planning, particularly when a manager is still getting to grips with his squad's depth and versatility. Gomez has been an important option across the backline in recent seasons, capable of operating in multiple defensive positions, and losing him for the start of the campaign is far from ideal. Iraola will be hoping the diagnosis does not worsen and that the recovery stays on schedule.

The backdrop to all of this is a club moving at pace. The US tour has the hallmarks of a well-organised pre-season operation, with the squad shuttling between cities and the management team keeping up. Our own Paul Gorst made quite the dash across Chicago from the airport just to be in the room — dedication that will not go unnoticed, even if his commute was slightly less dramatic than Szoboszlai's journey back from New York.

For Iraola personally, the early signs are genuinely encouraging. Back-to-back wins with a squad that is still being assembled, a vice-captaincy decision approaching, transfer business to complete and now an injury concern to manage — this is the reality of top-level football management before a ball has even been kicked in anger. He is handling it with the composure that his early work suggested he would.

Szoboszlai, meanwhile, looks every inch a leader. Captaining the side against Wrexham, sitting alongside his manager at a major press conference, putting his name forward in all but words for one of the most visible roles in the dressing room. The vice-captaincy conversation is clearly not going away, and the evidence on the pitch and off it points firmly in one direction.

With the Premier League season edging closer and the transfer window still wide open, what happens in the coming weeks could define how Liverpool approach the campaign. Barcola, the vice-captaincy, Gomez's recovery — there is plenty still to resolve, and Chicago is just the latest chapter in what is shaping up to be a very busy summer at Anfield.