Arne Slot's pre-season plans impacted as host of Liverpool players could miss tour of US

Arne Slot looks set to be without a host of first-team players for Liverpool's pre-season tour of the United States. The Reds are set to make the trip at the end of July as Slot prepares for his first campaign at Anfield, with players reconvening at the start of next month.

Alexis Mac Allister took on a new role to help Argentina secure their spot in the Copa America quarter-finals on Tuesday night. The Reds ace started as a left midfielder in a 4-4-2 formation during their opening victory over Canada but was pushed back into a deeper role against Chile.

A late goal from Lautaro Martinez secured a 1-0 victory for Argentina, ensuring their progression to the knockout stages with one group game still to play. However, they haven't yet guaranteed top spot, as Canada could potentially match them on points depending on the final round of group games.

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Depending on their final group position, Argentina's quarter-final match will take place either on 4th or 5th July. While Argentina are tipped to advance further in the competition, Liverpool usually allow their international players a three-week break after their tournament duties end.

This means that Mac Allister may miss a significant part of Liverpool's pre-season. If Argentina bow out in the quarter-finals, Mac Allister would only return just before Liverpool's pre-season tour to the United States at the end of July. Should Argentina make it to the semi-finals, he would miss the beginning of the tour at the very least.

Elsewhere, Darwin Nunez's Uruguay are likely to face either Luis Diaz's Colombia or Alisson Becker's Brazil in the quarter-finals on 6th July. At least one of these players is expected to reach the Copa America semi-finals, which are scheduled for 9th and 10th July, also clashing with Liverpool's tour.

Mac Allister wasn't the only Liverpool player representing his country on Tuesday. England, France and the Netherlands all secured their spots in the Euro 2024 round-of-16. As it stands, England is set to face the Netherlands on Sunday, although Wednesday evening's results in Group E could see the Three Lions pitted against its third-placed team instead.

If the Netherlands do end up being England's next opponents, then Arne Slot will be welcoming back at least two of his squad members for pre-season training a week before the Reds' US tour. However, any Liverpool players who progress in the tournament would potentially miss the start of the US tour, with a quarter-final match scheduled for July 5 and 6.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Liverpool ECHO by clicking here.