One player has the opportunity to make up for his mistakes over the next week and have an impact on Jürgen Klopp’s transfer strategy before Liverpool’s upcoming match against Everton on Saturday. The Liverpool players were beaming as they returned to practice on Thursday after the international break.
The return of Cody Gakpo was also a big boost, as was the happy sight of the South American contingent being able to participate. Andy Robertson, who was injured while serving with Scotland, did not participate as expected. Overall though, the first session back was perhaps a lot better than Jürgen Klopp would have anticipated, with Caoimhn Kelleher also shown after missing the Europa League match against Union SG before the break. But don’t be duped by the Liverpool manager’s smile. It is obvious that Klopp won’t be pleased with his team’s earliest return to action this weekend. Having to play at an early 12:30 on Saturday will force the Reds to play once more, giving his players hardly any time to reintegrate after the break. Particularly after a lengthy flight from the southern hemisphere, the quartet of Alisson Becker, Alexis Mac Allister, Luis Dáz, and Darwin Néz may be feeling the effects.
Nevertheless, Alisson is almost certainly going to play against Everton, and Diogo Jota might be needed to fill in for Daz or Nez. However, Klopp has a little bit of trouble with Mac Allister. After the most recent international break, it was obvious that the Argentine needed to be taken off against Wolves at halftime. In spite of the fact that he had only played in Bolivia a few days prior, his performance on that particular day should serve as a warning to his manager. The earlier return to training is probably an attempt by Klopp to have a more conclusive response on this occasion.
After all, there aren’t many options if Mac Allister isn’t prepared. Due to Curtis Jones’ suspension, Dominik Szoboszlai will sit alongside Ryan Gravenberch or Harvey Elliott in the advanced midfield positions, but Thiago or Stefan Bajetti won’t be filling in for the defensive position. That only leaves Wataru End as an alternative.
