Lionel Scaloni has provided an update on Alexis Mac Allister’s fitness ahead of Argentina’s 2026 World Cup qualifier against Venezuela on Thursday evening.
The Liverpool midfielder was substituted at half-time during the 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace last weekend due to a groin injury, but he has still traveled to South America for international duty with the reigning champions.
Mac Allister is uncertain for Argentina
Argentina’s head coach Scaloni addressed the media on Tuesday night before tomorrow’s match, acknowledging that it’s difficult to see Mac Allister being fit enough to play against Venezuela.
The 46-year-old stated (via TyC Sports, translated from Spanish): “Alexis is training differently. Let’s see if he is ready for the first game. So far, he has not been able to train with us, and we will decide whether he will be part of the squad or on the bench, but today it is challenging for him. I believe we need to take care of him. He is a player who has been involved in many matches, and this is the current situation.”
Liverpool may be unhappy about Mac Allister’s travel despite injury concerns
Arne Slot might have been pleased to see Darwin Nunez traveling to South America to join Uruguay after his international ban was lifted, but it’s unlikely that the Liverpool manager feels the same way about Mac Allister going to Argentina.
While our number 9 could benefit from additional playing time due to his limited starts at Anfield, the former Brighton midfielder has been our fourth most-used player this season (Transfermarkt) and likely would have preferred to avoid traveling across the Atlantic so soon after his injury.
It seems certain that he will not participate tomorrow, aiming instead for a spot in next Tuesday’s match against Bolivia, which is worryingly close to our following game against Chelsea the next weekend.
Mac Allister also faced fitness issues during last month’s international window, and Slot is unlikely to be pleased with the ongoing “will-he-won’t-he” headlines concerning the 25-year-old.
All we hope is for our number 10 to come through his Argentina duty without any issues—given the Reds’ upcoming matches, it’s clear that his skills and creativity in midfield will be crucial.
