Sixteen senior players are currently representing their country during the international break, but those left behind have used the time wisely to recharge their batteries.
We can start counting down Liverpool’s return to action as the trip to Southampton is now less than a week away, with this the final international break until March – hallelujah!
While Arne Slot and Co. will be keeping their fingers crossed for the 16 first-team players to return injury-free this month, eight others stayed behind for various reasons.
They are: Alisson (injured), Vitezslav Jaros (standby), Joe Gomez, Trent Alexander-Arnold (injured), Harvey Elliott (injured), Federico Chiesa (injured), Diogo Jota (injured) and Mo Salah.
With this the last break for four months, they have each used the time differently. Some continued their rehab at the AXA Training Centre and others jetted off for a mid-season trip.
Alisson and Harvey Elliott were pictured at the training ground early on in the break as they eye a comeback to action in the coming weeks, with positive updates hopefully on the way.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was forced to withdraw from England duty due to a hamstring injury and he has stayed close to home, though was spotted at Manchester’s Christmas markets.
Met Trent Alexander-Arnold at Manchester Christmas Market during the afternoon. Friendly guy. Nice way to spend International break. ? pic.twitter.com/zAC6I7f8Mb
— Hesham Bilal-Hafiz (@hesham786) November 13, 2024
Mo Salah, meanwhile, was left out of Egypt’s squad for his own safety as they were to play another game on an artificial pitch – a major boost for Liverpool!
On Instagram, he shared that he had taken his young family to Disneyland Paris – you wonder how many people spotted him under his hood.
And his travels were not finished there as he is currently in the UAE for a book fair, and a stay in Dubai and a catchup with his agent Ramy Abbas is likely.
As for Joe Gomez, his wife, Tamara, shared images of a trip to Japan on Instagram – a great destination choice to completely unplug before the hectic schedule on the horizon.
From the famous Shibuya crossing to views of Mount Fuji – quite the trip.
Slot’s squad will start to return to the AXA in the coming days, with every player expected back from Thursday ahead of their return to action against Southampton on Sunday.
The trip to St Mary’s is the first of 11 games before the end of 2024 across three different competitions.
