Alexis Mac Allister had to be substituted at half-time in Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Burnley this afternoon, prompting an injury scare for Reds fans at the start of a 21-day period in which we play seven matches.
The 26-year-old required treatment on the pitch after being on the wrong end of a late challenge from Lesley Ugochukwu, who duly received the first of his two yellow cards at Turf Moor today.
The Argentina international shook off the body blow for the remainder of the first half but didn’t reappear after the interval, with Conor Bradley coming on and Dominik Szoboszlai duly moving into midfield.
Slot explained after the match why he made the change at half-time rather than giving Mac Allister any further opportunity to run off the knock, and the Liverpool head coach downplayed any worries over a lasting injury for the Reds’ number 10.
Slot explains Mac Allister substitution
The head coach said (via liverpoolfc.com): “He missed a lot of pre-season, so he is ready for one game a week, maybe [for] 70 to 90 [minutes]. He played 90 for Argentina and he was really tired after 70.
“He doesn’t have the right build-up towards playing three games a week for 90 minutes, so it was always sure today that I would take him off after 60 minutes for him to be able to be back on the pitch again on Wednesday and for him to be on Saturday back on the pitch again.
“I had already made one substitution in the first half, so if I then take him off at 60 minutes that would be my second one. If I then want to make [another sub on] 75, then in the end I can do nothing anymore.
“That, combined with the fact the tackle was a tackle he felt – and I am not surprised by the fact he felt that tackle, by the way – it was a combination of both. He said it was fine and good enough to go on, although he limped a lot, so that was more his mentality I think than it was he could actually perform at his best for 15 minutes longer.
Mac Allister should be fine for Wednesday, it seems
With Liverpool facing Atletico Madrid and Everton in the next six days, and Mac Allister playing the entirety of Argentina’s match in Ecuador at high altitude earlier in the week, managing the 26-year-old’s fitness would’ve been crucial even if it weren’t for Ugochukwu’s robust challenge on him.
It was also sensible from Slot to make the change at half-time rather than using another substitution window, having already replaced Milos Kerkez before the interval to prevent the risk of the Hungarian picking up a second yellow card.
Thankfully, it sounds from the head coach’s post-match comments as though the Reds’ number 10 wasn’t in any great discomfort following the Burnley player’s tackle on him, and his availability for our Champions League opener on Wednesday could be pivotal.
With this being the first intense chunk of games in the 2025/26 season, the Liverpool boss will be mindful of not overloading his players in terms of minutes, especially anyone who’s carrying even a slight knock.
Hopefully Mac Allister won’t suffer any lasting adverse effects from today and he’ll again line up alongside Ryan Gravenberch (who was outstanding at Turf Moor) when Atletico Madrid come to Anfield in midweek.