According to a report by football.london, Liverpool could be facing a significant concern regarding Alexis Mac Allister's fitness as they prepare for their upcoming match against Chelsea.
Mac Allister, who has been away on international duty with Argentina, was not featured in Argentina's recent World Cup qualifier against Venezuela, which ended in a draw. Despite being named in the squad, the Liverpool midfielder remained on the bench due to a lingering groin issue, raising doubts about his availability for his club’s crucial fixture in just over a week.
Mac Allister had initially suffered the injury during Liverpool's narrow 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace, where he was forced to exit the game at halftime.
Although the injury seemed minor at first, the groin problem has persisted, leading to his exclusion from the Argentina lineup against Venezuela.
However, despite this concern, Mac Allister has not been withdrawn from Lionel Scaloni's squad, and there is still a chance he may feature in Argentina's next match against Bolivia.
This upcoming match could serve as a critical indicator for Liverpool’s manager, Arne Slot, who will be keeping a close eye on Mac Allister’s fitness.
Slot faces a difficult decision on whether to include him in the lineup against Chelsea, especially given the midfielder’s limited recovery time. Following Argentina’s match with Bolivia, Mac Allister will face a grueling 12-hour flight back to Liverpool, giving him very little time to reintegrate into training before the Chelsea clash.
If Mac Allister does not play in the Bolivia match, it could complicate matters even further. Traveling over 7,300 miles without getting any game time would likely leave him lacking match sharpness ahead of the Premier League encounter.
Thursday’s game was the first this season in which Mac Allister has not played, either for club or country. So far, he has been a regular starter for Liverpool, having featured in all 10 of their matches this season, and he also played in both of Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers during the September international break.
Argentina coach Scaloni has acknowledged the situation, stating that they will "have to take care" of the midfielder, noting that Mac Allister "is a boy who comes with a lot of games." This is only the third match he has missed for Argentina in the last year, having played in 14 other matches during that period, and scoring three goals for his country.
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