Alexis Mac Allister needed to be substituted at half-time in Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Burnley this afternoon, prompting an damage scare for Reds followers at the beginning of a 21-day interval through which we play seven matches.
The 26-year-old required therapy on the pitch after being on the mistaken finish of a late problem from Lesley Ugochukwu, who duly acquired the primary of his two yellow playing cards at Turf Moor immediately.
The Argentina worldwide shook off the physique blow for the rest of the primary half however didn’t reappear after the interval, with Conor Bradley approaching and Dominik Szoboszlai duly shifting into midfield.
Slot defined after the match why he made the change at half-time relatively than giving Mac Allister any additional alternative to run off the knock, and the Liverpool head coach downplayed any worries over an enduring damage for the Reds’ quantity 10.
Slot explains Mac Allister substitution
The top coach stated (by way of liverpoolfc.com): “He missed a whole lot of pre-season, so he’s prepared for one recreation per week, possibly [for] 70 to 90 [minutes]. He performed 90 for Argentina and he was actually drained after 70.
“He doesn’t have the proper build-up in the direction of taking part in three video games per week for 90 minutes, so it was all the time certain immediately that I might take him off after 60 minutes for him to have the ability to be again on the pitch once more on Wednesday and for him to be on Saturday again on the pitch once more.
“I had already made one substitution within the first half, so if I then take him off at 60 minutes that may be my second one. If I then wish to make [another sub on] 75, then ultimately I can do nothing anymore.
“That, mixed with the very fact the sort out was a sort out he felt – and I’m not shocked by the very fact he felt that sort out, by the way in which – it was a mix of each. He stated it was tremendous and ok to go on, though he limped loads, in order that was extra his mentality I believe than it was he might truly carry out at his greatest for quarter-hour longer.
“The mix of him being injured and me not desirous to lose the second substitution after 60 minutes led to it – and us not taking part in so properly, by the way in which. Bringing Dom [Szoboszlai] to the midfield, extra gamers that may assault the field… a whole lot of arguments and [it was] partly tactical.”
Mac Allister must be tremendous for Wednesday, it appears
With Liverpool going through Atletico Madrid and Everton within the subsequent six days, and Mac Allister taking part in the whole lot of Argentina’s match in Ecuador at excessive altitude earlier within the week, managing the 26-year-old’s health would’ve been essential even when it weren’t for Ugochukwu’s sturdy problem on him.
It was additionally smart from Slot to make the change at half-time relatively than utilizing one other substitution window, having already changed Milos Kerkez earlier than the interval to stop the chance of the Hungarian selecting up a second yellow card.
Fortunately, it sounds from the top coach’s post-match feedback as if the Reds’ quantity 10 wasn’t in any nice discomfort following the Burnley participant’s sort out on him, and his availability for our Champions League opener on Wednesday may very well be pivotal.
With this being the primary intense chunk of video games within the 2025/26 season, the Liverpool boss will likely be conscious of not overloading his gamers by way of minutes, particularly anybody who’s carrying even a slight knock.
Hopefully Mac Allister gained’t endure any lasting hostile results from immediately and he’ll once more line up alongside Ryan Gravenberch (who was excellent at Turf Moor) when Atletico Madrid come to Anfield in midweek.
