Alexis Mac Allister Drops Early Liverpool Team News Hint After Arne Slot Cryptic Message

Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has potentially offered a clue regarding his involvement in the upcoming Carabao Cup quarter-final clash against Southampton. The Argentine midfielder has been serving a suspension that has kept him out of Liverpool’s last two matches, including their crucial Champions League victory over Girona.

Mac Allister’s absence stemmed from accumulating yellow cards. He exceeded the permitted threshold, receiving his third booking in the Champions League against Real Madrid, which triggered a suspension for the subsequent European fixture against Girona.

Furthermore, Mac Allister also incurred a Premier League suspension after receiving his fifth yellow card of the season during the dramatic draw against Newcastle United. This caution was issued two weeks prior to the Southampton match, meaning the 25-year-old has been unavailable for selection for a considerable period.

This sequence of suspensions meant that Mac Allister was originally slated to return for Liverpool’s Premier League encounter with Fulham. However, the postponement of the Merseyside derby against Everton resulted in a further delay in his return to action. This postponement has extended his time away from competitive football to 14 days.

Adding intrigue to his potential return, Mac Allister recently posted a graphic previewing the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Southampton on his social media channels. In modern football, players frequently utilize social media to share graphics, videos, and other content related to upcoming matches.

While it is possible that someone else manages Mac Allister’s social media accounts and the post was made regardless of his involvement, the timing of the post is significant. It coincides with a period where he is likely eager to regain match fitness and sharpness, making the Carabao Cup tie an ideal opportunity to get some valuable playing time.

This social media activity also comes in the wake of cryptic comments made by Liverpool manager Arne Slot during his pre-match press conference on Tuesday. Slot alluded to the necessity of rotating his squad for the Southampton game.

Liverpool are currently grappling with a series of injuries and suspensions, further emphasizing the need for squad rotation. Ibrahima Konate, Conor Bradley, and Kostas Tsimikas are currently sidelined with injuries. While Tsimikas has returned to training this week, his match fitness remains a concern. Andy Robertson is also unavailable due to suspension, further limiting Slot’s options.

Slot specifically mentioned Federico Chiesa in his press conference, suggesting the Italian winger could feature in the game. “It’s definitely a moment where he (Chiesa) can get minutes,” Slot confirmed. “The amount of minutes is a question mark.”

Slot acknowledged the challenges of managing player fitness, especially given Chiesa’s recent return from a long-term injury. “You cannot expect him to play 90, especially not at this level where the intensity is so high because he has been out for five or six months now. But he will, if he has a good training session, he will get minutes.”

The Liverpool manager also emphasized the need to carefully manage the minutes of other players, given the congested fixture schedule and the importance of avoiding further injuries. “But it’s going to be a game where not all of our starters will start so we have to manage minutes. If we want to use a few starters, it will not be for 90 minutes, so we have to balance.”

Slot further explained the limitations imposed by the substitution rules. “I can only make five substitutions. The ones that get minutes and go off, maybe at half-time, can’t be more than five as you can only make five substitutions.”

He reiterated his intention to give Chiesa playing time, stating, “He will make minutes, Federico, tomorrow. If he starts or comes in to play the second half, that’s something we have to make a decision about during today.”

The combination of Mac Allister’s social media post and Slot’s comments suggests that the Argentine midfielder is likely to feature in some capacity against Southampton. Whether he starts the game or comes off the bench remains to be seen, but his return to the squad will provide a welcome boost for Liverpool.