Liverpool player misses training after arriving for international duty

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Liverpool’s wonderful start to the season has been paused, with the first international break of the campaign now upon us.

The Reds have taken nine points from a possible nine available in the Premier League and look set for a good campaign.

Perhaps the most pleasing thing about Liverpool’s time under Arne Slot so far has been the lack of injuries throughout the first-team squad.

Curtis Jones is the only player to miss any action with fitness problems, as Slot and his coaching staff attempt to banish the injury issues of old.

However, international duty can be the joker in the pack when it comes to players picking up knocks. Away from the sanctity of the AXA Training Centre, trouble can occur. And Slot won’t be a fan of some news coming out of Argentina.

Alexis Mac Allister misses training

Liverpool have 16 first-team players away on senior international duty over the next couple of weeks, with Tyler Morton, Harvey Elliott and Jarell Quansah also in action for England U21s.

With Slot having wrapped his team up in cotton wool so successfully this season, he will be nervous to hear news of any injuries.

There is a crumb of comfort in that new signing Federico Chiesa has not been called up for Italy, while Darwin Nunez also serves the first two matches of his five-game ban for Uruguay.

Elsewhere, though, all of Liverpool’s key players are away and in action. One who has predictably been essential to Slot so far has been Alexis Mac Allister.

READ MORE: Luis Diaz sends Instagram message to Alexis Mac Allister after Man United 0-3 Liverpool

Despite arriving back at Anfield late this summer, Mac Allister has not missed a minute during the Reds’ opening three games.

The £35m man has also become a big player for Argentina over the past two years and has been called up for the World Champions’ games against Chile and Colombia.

However, taking to X late on Tuesday evening, Argentine journalist Gaston Edul reported that Mac Allister sat out of his team’s first training session. Thankfully, it sounds like a planned omission.

“Alexis Mac Allister did not train because he has a muscle load but it is planned that he will arrive for the match against Chile and play,” says Edul.

Who else is away on international duty?

While it is good news that this was not an unforeseen issue for Mac Allister, Liverpool will have to keep an eye on their No.10. He is so crucial to the way Slot wants to play and must be protected at all costs.

Away from Macca, though, there are plenty of others who the same thought will apply to.

Virgil van Dijk has told Ronald Koeman he wants to stay on with the Netherlands for two more years, and the defender has a call-up along with Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch.

Elsewhere in Europe, Trent Alexander-Arnold is in the England squad, Ibrahima Konate joins up with France, Kostas Tsimikas with Greece and Dominik Szoboszlai in his role as captain for Hungary.

Diogo Jota, Caoimhin Kelleher, Andy Robertson and Conor Bradley complete Liverpool’s European representatives, with Wataru Endo in action for Japan, Mohamed Salah for Egypt, Alisson Becker for Brazil and Luis Diaz will face Mac Allister as Colombia aim for Copa America final revenge.