Liverpool have suffered an injury blow to an "intelligent" player ahead of the weekend clash with Crystal Palace, according to an update from reliable journalist Paul Joyce.
Liverpool injury latest
The Reds know that they can go top of the Premier League for at least a few hours on Saturday, as they head to Palace for a lunchtime fixture in south London. It is a huge incentive for Jurgen Klopp and his players, who face an Eagles team struggling for form with under manager Roy Hodgson, but the Merseysiders will have to make do without a number of key players at Selhurst Park.
Joel Matip's season could be over after suffering an ACL injury in last weekend's 4-3 win at home to Fulham – he may even have played his last-ever game for Liverpool in the process due to being out of contract next year – while Andy Robertson is a long-term absentee. Alisson and Diogo Jota have also been out of late, so the Reds certainly aren't having everything their own way in the fitness department at the moment.
With kickoff at Palace edging closer, a worrying update has now emerged regarding an influential Liverpool player, following a midweek issue.
Liverpool suffer Alexis Mac Allister blow
Taking to X on Friday, following Klopp's pre-Eagles press conference, Joyce claimed that Mac Allister is "likely" to be unavailable for Liverpool's clash with Palace game after limping out of Wednesday's 2-0 victory away to Sheffield United.
"Jurgen Klopp says Alexis Mac Allister likely to miss Crystal Palace, Alisson Becker back in training and could feature."
This is an undoubted setback for Liverpool, with Mac Allister one of the biggest reasons for the Reds' vast improvements this season, coming in as part of the much-needed midfield rebuild at Anfield, following last year's woes involving the likes of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson, who looked shadows of the players they once were.
The Argentine has increasingly grown into the No.6 role under Klopp, having been more of a No.8 than he was at Brighton, starting 14 Premier League games this season and completing 88.1% of his passes. He has also averaged 2.2 tackles per game, while his stunning strike against Fulham outlined the technical brilliance at his disposal.
Meanwhile, he is still relatively fresh off the back of last year's memorable 2022 World Cup win with Argentina, with Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero saying of him during the tournament: "He’s a very intelligent player. He positions himself, waits his moment."
It looks highly likely that Mac Allister will be out of the Palace game, which means that Wataru Endo could play as the No.6, as he continues to adjust to life at Anfield.
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Klopp will then have to decide whether to start the influential Dominik Szoboszlai again as one of the No.8s, or give Curtis Jones or Ryan Gravenberch the chance to shine, or both for that matter.
Perhaps most importantly, it is essential that Liverpool try to get Mac Allister back for the crucial visit of Manchester United on December 17th, allowing the Reds to be as strong as possible against their most bitter rivals.