Thursday marks exactly one month until the 2022 World Cup begins in Qatar, so as things stand, who are the Liverpool players that will, might or won’t be going?
It’s now just over three weeks until the Reds’ campaign comes to a halt for the tournament, and there are still seven games to play in that time.
Some players’ dreams of featuring at the World Cup have already come crashing down, with Portugal’s Diogo Jota and Brazil’s Arthur falling victim to Liverpool’s busy schedule and sustaining serious muscle injuries in recent weeks.
But there are still several members of Jurgen Klopp‘s squad hoping to do enough to book their spots at the tournament, with provisional squads set to be named in the near future.
Going…
Fitness permitting, the Liverpool players who look certain to go are Brazil’s Alisson and Fabinho, Netherlands’ Virgil van Dijk, England’s Jordan Henderson and Uruguay’s Darwin Nunez.
Might be going…
Among those who are ‘maybes’ at this stage are England’s Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Spain’s Thiago and Brazil’s Roberto Firmino.
Both Gomez and Alexander-Arnold have seen their chances of making Gareth Southgate’s squad increase due to injuries in recent weeks.
After a Man of the Match display in the victory over Man City, Gomez is making a late push to be involved, having benefited from the absences of Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate this month.
City’s Kyle Walker and Chelsea‘s Reece James are both currently sidelined with injuries and may not recover in time for the tournament, meaning Alexander-Arnold could make England’s final 26 after all, despite Southgate’s bizarre use of Liverpool’s most creative player.
Thiago wasn’t named in Spain’s squad for their September internationals, with his most recent call-up coming at the end of last season, but the dynamic midfielder will surely be difficult for Luis Enrique to ignore if fully fit.
Despite suggestions his World Cup place could be under threat, Firmino was named in Brazil’s most recent squad, and has certainly done his chances of making Tite’s final squad no harm with his recent goalscoring form for Liverpool.
Then there are the outsiders, with Konate and Harvey Elliott probably unlikely to go at this stage, but still with time to improve their chances in the coming weeks.
Had France defender Konate not been injured for the vast majority of this season, he may well have featured more prominently in Didier Deschamps’ thoughts.
He is, however, expected back in training later this week, and could still make a late case to be part of the holders’ squad.
Elliott, meanwhile, is yet to earn a senior England call-up, but has been one of Liverpool’s most impressive performers this season, and looks set for regular game time prior to the mid-season break for the tournament.
Stranger things have happened.
The same could perhaps be said for Fabio Carvalho, given the injury to fellow countryman Jota.
Won’t be going…
Adrian, Nat Phillips, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Curtis Jones have seen their countries qualify, but are all highly unlikely to be called up.
Then there are those whose nations have not qualified or who have retired from international duty.
Caoimhin Kelleher, Joel Matip, Andy Robertson, Kostas Tsimikas, James Milner, Naby Keita, Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz will all be watching on from afar.
Those will make up the core of Liverpool squad that will take to a warm-weather training camp in Dubai in early December, with friendlies lined up against AC Milan and Lyon.
When will we know who’s called up?
Managers are required to submit their preliminary squads to FIFA by Friday, October 21.
Those squads, however, will be made up of 35 to 55 players, and don’t necessarily have to be announced to the public, meaning some squads may not be known right up until the week before the tournament begins.
It’s not until November 13 that nations are asked to submit their official squads, comprising of 23 to 26 players, but some may choose to announce them sooner.
That means the deadline for the official squads falls on the same day the final Premier League matches are played before the season grinds to a halt, with Liverpool’s final game coming against Southampton one day earlier.
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