Liverpool fans have been left baffled after an ‘injured’ player joined up with his national team ahead of the upcoming international fixtures.
Liverpool head into the international break top of the Premier League, having beaten Crystal Palace 1-0 on Saturday afternoon.
But while they claimed a vital three points away from home, Liverpool’s victory was marred by an injury to goalkeeper Alisson. After clearing the ball midway through the second half, the Brazilian fell to the turf and was unable to play on after appearing to pull his hamstring.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot said in his post-match interview that he expects to be without Alisson ‘for a few weeks’.
It was not the only injury concern Liverpool had from the game at Selhurst Park, with midfielder Alexis Mac Allister withdrawn at half-time with a suspected groin injury.
“He went off because of an injury, but how bad it is is difficult for me to judge in this moment,” explained Slot.
“He could have continued playing, like you saw, because it didn’t happen one second before half-time, but he felt it a bit too much and he said he didn’t think it was good to keep on playing because you never know if you will make it worse.”
However, Liverpool Echo journalist Paul Gorst has reported that Mac Allister is “in Miami” to join up with Argentina’s squad for their World Cup qualifiers with Venezuela and Bolivia, leaving Liverpool fans confused about the midfielder’s availability.
One fan was left annoyed by the news, commenting on X: “It’s utter madness. People say club can’t do anything. But [Kai] Havertz stayed at Arsenal. [Phil] Foden at City last time. If you come off at half-time, it means that you’re not fully fit.”
Another added: “Most clubs pull their players the moment a player gets a small injury, but nah not us we allow them to fly across the globe.”
Alexis Mac Allister was substituted against Crystal Palace (Credit:Getty)
A third wrote: “As always, the Reds seem to be the only club that is incapable of keeping players back from these ludicrous internationals. Why on earth is he flying across the world for two meaningless games when he’s injured?”
It is unclear what role Mac Allister will play during the matches but with Liverpool facing a tough set of fixtures after the international break, a rest could be a sensible decision.
Unfortunately for Liverpool, however, Mac Allister has been a mainstay in his country’s midfield following the 2022 World Cup triumph and usually starts when at full fitness.