Early reports from Argentina indicate that Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister is unlikely to participate in the World Cup qualifier against Venezuela on Thursday.
Despite experiencing discomfort that led to his half-time withdrawal during Liverpool’s recent win over Crystal Palace, Mac Allister travelled to join the Argentina squad.
However, manager Lionel Scaloni acknowledged the situation was “difficult” as the midfielder has been training separately from the main group.
On the eve of the match, Argentine outlet El Destape reported that Scaloni will be “without Mac Allister for this match due to a muscle strain in his left thigh.”
They also noted that “everything indicates that he will be able to play in the next match,” which is against Bolivia on October 16, giving Mac Allister nearly an extra week to recover.
Journalist Gaston Edul has confirmed that Liverpool’s midfielder “is not going to play the first game,” a claim also supported by ESPN Argentina.
If this is the case, it will mark the first time the 25-year-old has been omitted from Argentina’s matchday squad since February 2022, ending a streak of 36 consecutive games in which he either played or was an unused substitute.
Alexis Mac Allister has been a key player for Argentina, contributing to their successes in the World Cup and Copa America.
His cautious management will come as a relief to Liverpool manager Arne Slot and his staff.
This marks the second consecutive international break that Mac Allister has faced fitness concerns.
While Liverpool fans may wish for his early return to Merseyside, the silver lining is that his condition is not worsening, at least for now.
He will need to prove his fitness to play any role against Bolivia next week, and the Reds will be closely monitoring his situation as they prepare for a grueling schedule of seven games in 21 days upon his return.
Slot is already preparing to be without goalkeeper Alisson Becker for six weeks, while Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott are also dealing with pre-existing injuries heading into the break.
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