National media say 'fantastic' Liverpool player really didn't look fit for his country
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Liverpool may have some fitness concerns heading into their match against Burnley.
The international break is finally over and after almost a fortnight, Premier League action is set to return very soon
Luckily for Liverpool, they seem to have been very lucky with injuries and nobody is returning home with anything major, although there could still be some concern for others.
Due to these matches being World Cup qualifiers rather than just friendlies, the intensity of the games were fairly high, meaning players were certainly getting stuck in.
However, despite being passed fit, there was one Liverpool player in particular who struggled for his country, with the national media absolutely tearing into him.
Photo by Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images
The international break is a worrying time for fans and clubs as they simply do not want to see their players return home injured.
It is an even more frustrating period when a number of their key stars come from South America, with these players having to travel thousands of miles just to get there.
And, despite already qualifying for the World Cup, Argentina decided to risk Alexis Mac Allister despite his minutes needing to be managed due to his injury problems this season.
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The midfielder did manage to complete his first full 90 minutes which is a good sign, but the negative is that Argentina’s media slammed him for not looking fit enough.
Newspaper Clarin gave him just a rating of four out of 10, saying that: “he was imprecise and lacked attacking prowess.
He barely made any significant interventions for a team that constantly needs him.”
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BolaVIP agreed and believed he just was not fit at all, writing: “He looked physically diminished, as he wasn’t at 100 per cent and couldn’t make a difference in the midfield.”
La Nacion also gave him a 4/10 rating, saying that he could not get hold of the ball, while Ole rated him a slightly higher 4.5/10, although they admitted his impact was not felt one bit.
The good news for Liverpool is that he has not actually returned with a fresh injury, although the time it is taking for him to get back to fitness might be a slight concern.
After sitting on the bench for Argentina’s first match, many had wondered why they even bothered taking him, although the reason for this was proven against Ecuador.
Playing the full 90 minutes was a big surprise, though, mainly as he had not played a full match since May.
So, with not much time in between these two games, Arne Slot may go for a cautious approach and start him on the bench against Burnley, especially based on the media reaction to his performance.
With games coming thick and fast for the Reds this month, with Liverpool having six games in 17 days, Mac Allister’s minutes need to be managed further as he truly is a ‘fantastic’ player.