Liverpool are expected to appeal Alexis Mac Allister‘s red card against Bournemouth, but the Argentina midfielder is currently facing a ban.
Mac Allister was sent off 58 minutes into the Reds’ 3-1 win over Bournemouth on Saturday, following a challenge on midfielder Ryan Christie.
It was a bizarre decision to show the 24-year-old a straight red card, with new directives among officials causing concern in the opening weeks of the Premier League.
Referee Thomas Bramall was backed by VAR Paul Tierney and his assistant Constantine Hatzidakis, and Liverpool played the final half-hour with 10 men.
Speaking after the game, Klopp suggested Liverpool would appeal the decision, telling reporters that “we have to talk to the authorities.”
Whether the club are successful or not remains to be seen, though a series of similar – or worse – challenges that went unpunished elsewhere in the Premier League could be convincing evidence.
As it stands, though, Mac Allister will receive a three-match ban – which is the norm with straight red cards for violent conduct or serious foul play.
That means the midfielder would miss the following games:
- Newcastle (A) – Sunday, August 27
- Aston Villa (H) – Sunday, September 3
- Wolves (A) – Saturday, September 16
Two away trips and the visit of Villa to Anfield, sandwiching the first international break of the season – which is likely to see Mac Allister join the Argentina squad.
If the ban is upheld, then, his next outing for Liverpool will not be until the home meeting with West Ham on September 24.
That would be over a month on from the incident against Bournemouth, which is similar to when Darwin Nunez received his ban for headbutting Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen this time last year.
Nunez’s red card – a deserved one – was also on the striker’s Anfield debut, leaving him to miss the 2-1 defeat to Man United and back-to-back victories over Bournemouth (9-0) and Newcastle (2-1).
It left the Uruguayan battling to make up for lost time, and though it was not the cause for his slide down the pecking order, it certainly did not help his situation.
Upon appeal, Mac Allister’s ban could be upheld, overturned or perhaps reduced, though there is no indication at this stage which the FA will take.
A development can be expected over the coming days, though, with Liverpool eager to have their No. 10 involved for a tough away clash with Newcastle.
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