Alexis Mac Allister could get exactly what he needs with Liverpool star now banned for two games
With injuries mounting, particularly in its defense, Liverpool has a few more absences to contend with at the moment than would be ideal. Arne Slot's side is facing a relentless fixture schedule, though it has dealt fairly well with being without some key men to date.
Alisson Becker and Diogo Jota have both missed large chunks of the season and are yet to return while Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley being out at the same time as Kostas Tsimikas has very much limited things at the back. Therefore, in terms of it coming at the same time as others being absent, losing Alexis Mac Allister to a suspension is far from ideal.
Mac Allister has five Premier League yellow cards to his name after going into referee Andy Madley's book midweek and he is going to sit out the trip to Everton this weekend as a result. But the Argentine has already reached the threshold in the Champions League too after he was booked against Real Madrid, meaning he won't be able to play against Girona on Tuesday.
Liverpool has other options with Dominik Szoboszlai likely to come back in for him with Curtis Jones moving across the left-sided number eight role — even if Mac Allister would likely have otherwise kept his place. Harvey Elliott is back from his injury now too, and can provide another option from the bench.
But while it will take some moving things around and adjusting, there is one positive to Mac Allister being out of the next couple of games. Having played more minutes than anyone aside from Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Ryan Gravenberch this season under Slot, he could do with a break.
While Mac Allister picked up his game in the second half at Newcastle, much like the rest of his teammates, he has looked a little jaded at times recently. For periods at St James' Park, the intensity from the likes of Sandro Tonali and Joelinton was just too much for Liverpool. Mac Allister wasn't the only one who struggled with it, but he is the one who will be afforded the chance to rest.
Traveling to and from South America during the international breaks and having been pretty relentlessly involved at club level too, Mac Allister will now get two games off (even if he wouldn't have wanted that). The enforced break, before the festive schedule kicks in, might actually not be the worst thing as he can regain some freshness.
