Liverpool will have 26 players on international duty in the October break, as World Cup and European U21 Championship qualifiers continue.
The season is less than two months old but it is already nearing its second interval, halting work at Anfield for Jurgen Klopp‘s squad.
Though the German will remain at Melwood, overseeing training with the likes of Joel Matip and James Milner, who have retired from international duty, this two-week period will be frustrating.
Klopp will be without the majority of his key names during the break, with 20 first-team players and a clutch of youngsters called up.
Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Daniel Sturridge were all included in Gareth Southgate’s 26-man England squad to take on Slovenia and Lithuania.
Both Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino will represent Brazil in their World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Chile.
With Klopp describing his inclusion as “fantastic,” Ben Woodburn can hope to add to his tally of Wales caps, while Danny Ward is also in Chris Coleman’s squad for clashes with Georgia and the Republic of Ireland.
Simon Mignolet will be vying with Thibaut Courtois, Matz Sels and Koen Casteels for a place between the sticks for Belgium, with Divock Origi also included.
The star-studded European outfit are set to take on Bosnia & Herzegovina and Cyprus.
Elsewhere, Dejan Lovren is part of the Croatia squad for qualifiers against Finland and Ukraine, and Gini Wijnaldum will be involved for the Netherlands against Belarus and Sweden.
Klopp’s star wingers, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, have been called up by Senegal and Egypt respectively.
Mane is set to face off against Cape Verde, while Salah will play a key role against Congo.
Emre Can is in the Germany squad for clashes with Northern Ireland and Azerbaijan, and Ragnar Klavan will captain Estonia against Gibraltar and Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Andrew Robertson has been called up by Scotland manager Gordon Strachan for qualifying action against Slovakia and Slovenia.
On the youth stage, Joe Gomez, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominic Solanke are all involved for the England U21s against Scotland and Andorra.
Sheyi Ojo was involved, but the 20-year-old has been forced to pull out due to a shoulder injury.
While he is not a Liverpool player until next summer, Naby Keita will be one to watch as Guinea take on Tunisia.
Marko Grujic is part of the Serbia U21s squad to take on Macedonia and Russia, while Kamil Grabara will battle for the gloves in the Poland U21s’ clashes with Finland and Lithuania.
Corey Whelan will represent the Republic of Ireland U21s against Norway and Israel, while Rhian Brewster is at the U17 World Cup in India with England.
The Young Lions have been drawn in a group with Chile, Mexico and Iraq.
Finally, U18s centre-back Patrik Raitanen (Finland U17s) and midfielder Edvard Tagseth (Norway U17s) are also in action, while Neco Williams, Morgan Boyes and Dan Griffiths turned out for the Wales U17s earlier in September.
Liverpool in the October International Break
Senior players called up: Mignolet, Ward, Lovren, Klavan, Gomez, Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Can, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Grujic, Woodburn, Coutinho, Mane, Salah, Firmino, Sturridge, Solanke, Origi (loan)
Notable youth: Grabara, Whelan, Raitanen, Tagseth, Brewster
Left out: Karius, Bogdan, Matip (retired), Clyne (injured), Flanagan, Moreno, Lallana (injured), Ejaria, Markovic, Wilson, Ojo (loan, injured), Kent (loan), Ings
Fan Comments