The past couple of weeks have been quite hectic for Liverpool’s international stars, with a few injury concerns likely causing Arne Slot some worry as the Premier League season approaches its climax.
This month, Liverpool sent 20 of their first-team players to represent their nations, although a couple of them weren’t called upon to play.
Ryan Gravenberch returned to Liverpool ahead of schedule after joining the Dutch squad, while Alisson had to head back due to a head injury he sustained during his time with Brazil. The good news is that both players are likely to be ready for the upcoming derby against Everton. The extra rest might turn out to be a blessing, especially since Liverpool are just 16 points shy of securing the Premier League trophy.
Now that the international fixtures are wrapped up for the season, let’s delve into who racked up the most minutes and contributed to the scoreboard during the March break.
### Minutes Played
Liverpool had five players who were in action for the entire duration of their international fixtures, which even stretched to extra time and penalties for Virgil van Dijk—far from ideal, you might say!
Every player, except Jarell Quansah and Gravenberch, made an appearance. Gravenberch returned early due to fitness worries but should be fit for the season’s end:
– Virgil van Dijk: 210
– Mo Salah: 180
– Dominik Szoboszlai: 180
– Luis Diaz: 180
– Caoimhin Kelleher: 180
– Cody Gakpo: 168
– Wataru Endo: 164
– Andy Robertson: 163
– Alexis Mac Allister: 156
– Harvey Elliott: 139
– Darwin Nunez: 117
– Kostas Tsimikas: 90
– James McConnell: 90
– Curtis Jones: 85
– Alisson: 78
– Trey Nyoni: 78
– Diogo Jota: 58
– Ibrahima Konate: 45
– Jarell Quansah: 0
– Ryan Gravenberch: 0
### Goals
Five of our first-teamers found their names on the scoresheet, and Slot will certainly be hoping Diaz can carry his international form into club matches, as he’s managed just one goal in his last 18 appearances for Liverpool. In contrast, Mac Allister made a decisive run into the box to score his fourth goal for Argentina:
– Diaz: 2
– Elliott: 1
– Gakpo: 1
– Salah: 1
– Mac Allister: 1
### Assists
In terms of setting up goals, Slot’s trusted trio up front each managed to deliver an assist during the break:
– Salah: 1
– Jota: 1
– Diaz: 1
Reflecting on Liverpool’s international break, it’s clear their players were pivotal in various roles for their countries, with some impressive performances that will hopefully carry over as they aim to wrap up their domestic season triumphantly.
