Disappointing Alexis Mac Allister fitness update emerges from Argentina

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It has not been the easiest few weeks for Alexis Mac Allister.

The Liverpool man was absent from Argentina’s commanding 3-0 victory over Venezuela in their 2026 World Cup qualifier on Thursday.

Mac Allister’s absence from the qualifier at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires was caused by significant travel disruptions that severely limited his preparation time with the national squad.

The 26-year-old midfielder was originally scheduled to fly directly from Amsterdam to Argentina via KLM, but technical issues with the airline forced him to reroute through Paris before finally arriving in Argentina late on Tuesday evening.

It comes amid his campaign being hampered by fitness issues following an injury that forced him out of Liverpool’s final games of last season.

Despite returning to team training in late July, the World Cup winner skipped the majority of pre-season friendlies and only gradually rejoined sessions as his teammates were building match sharpness.

The midfielder’s recent struggles were evident in Liverpool’s opening Premier League fixtures.

He missed the 3-2 victory at Newcastle after withdrawing from weekend training due to a fitness concern, and was substituted at the hour mark against Arsenal in another indication that he has not yet reached full fitness.

However, despite his situation, it seems manager Lionel Scaloni will play Mac Allister vs Ecuador today even though he is not 100% fit.

ESPN Argentina report that the Argentina manager intends to play the Reds man even though he is not fully capable:

“Lionel Scaloni was asked at Monday morning’s press conference about the midfield to face Ecuador.”

“Regarding the presence of Mac Allister, the coach admitted that the midfielder is not 100 percent, but implied that he will be among the starters because “he is fine.”

The reigning world champions have already secured their place at next summer’s World Cup, which will be held across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Therefore, it feels quite strange that Scaloni seems to want Mac Allister to play through his fitness problems.

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