LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, March 3, 2018: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah during the pre-match warm-up before the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Newcastle United FC at Anfield. (Pic by Peter Powell/Propaganda)

Salah scores, Firmino features – Liverpool FC International Roundup

We round up how Liverpool’s players fared on international duty on Friday, with both Jordan Henderson and Virgil van Dijk captaining their respective countries.

The Premier League has taken a backseat this weekend and the internationals have taken centre stage for the time being.

In total, 27 Liverpool players are away representing their respective nations, and a selection of them have already been in action.

They have enjoyed varying degrees of success over the last couple of days.

England visited the Netherlands on Friday night with no less than five Liverpool players involved, with Henderson and Van Dijk leading out the two sides in Amsterdam.

Joe Gomez, Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain and Gini Wijnaldum also started, but Adam Lallana was a spectator throughout the evening.

It was the Three Lions who came out on top, thanks to Jesse Lingard’s solitary goal, but Gomez’s early ankle injury will be of real concern to Jurgen Klopp.

With some vital matches coming up for the Reds, the German will be praying the 20-year-old is not facing a lengthy layoff.

Mohamed Salah‘s remarkable individual season continued on Friday night, as Egypt faced Portugal in Switzerland.

Liverpool’s star man fired home a brilliant opener from 20 yards, although a very late Cristiano Ronaldo double saw him upstaged on the night.

That’s now 38 goals this season for Salah, for club and country.

Roberto Firmino was a second-half substitute in Brazil’s comfortable 3-0 win over Russia in Moscow – the fact that he isn’t starting shows the attacking brilliance at manager Tite’s disposal.

Miranda, former Reds favourite Philippe Coutinho and Paulinho got the goals for the World Cup favourites, with Firmino replacing Man City‘s Gabriel Jesus.

As an aside, there was a clean-sheet for Brazil No.1 Alisson, who Liverpool have been linked with signing this summer. He again cut an imposing figure.

Sadio Mane was an unused substitute in Senegal’s 1-1 draw against Uzbekistan in Morocco, which Klopp is sure to be pleased about.

Gomez’s injury highlighted the risk of injury in relatively meaningless friendlies, so Mane having the night off is a pleasant bonus.

It wasn’t a happy evening for man-of-the-moment Andrew Robertson, whose Scotland side suffered a grim 1-0 defeat at home to Costa Rica.

Scotland's Andrew Robertson - Martin Rickett/PA Archive/PA Images

The 24-year-old played all 90 minutes Hampden Park, on Alex McLeish’s return as manager, but could do nothing to prevent the hosts from losing.

Currrently injured, Emre Can watched from the stands as Germany drew 1-1 with Spain in Dusseldorf, in a battle between the last two World Cup winners.

Rodrigo and Thomas Muller exchanged goals in Dusseldorf, and given the strength of both starting lineups, it was an indication that Can will struggle to start this summer.

Finally on Friday, Marko Grujic played a quarter of Serbia’s 2-1 defeat to Morocco in Turin, replacing Nemanja Matic with the scoring already completed.

Before all that action took place, Harry Wilson was handed his first ever start for Wales on Thursday, as they travelled to China.

The Liverpool youngster enjoyed a dream 21st birthday, scoring his first goal and registering his maiden assist for his country, as they ran out 6-0 winners in the China Cup in Nanning.

There was also a second-half cameo from Ben Woodburn, but he was very much upstaged by his Liverpool teammate, who is flourishing since a loan move to Hull City in January.

As an aside, Gareth Bale’s hat-trick took him clear of Liverpool legend Ian Rush‘s Welsh record of 28 goals, with the Real Madrid superstar taking his tally to 29.

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