When Liverpool fans opened the squad list to face Newcastle, many nearly dropped their tea: Mac Allister absence stood out like a neon sign. No silky midfield maestro, no stabilizer in the middle. Instead, Arne Slot was obliged to put Dominik Szoboszlai as right- back -yes, indeed, you read it correctly. Somewhere, Trent Alexander-Arnold has had to have laughed at the irony.
Mac Allister absence highlights Reds’ early-season woes
Liverpool’s injury list already looks like a badly written Netflix drama. Jeremie Frimpong is sidelined, Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley can barely make the bench, and now their most influential midfielder is nowhere to be seen. Playing footballers out of position may work on FIFA career mode, but in the Premier League? That’s usually how you end up gifting Newcastle three goals by halftime.
Mac Allister absence: stats that sting
Having joined the club in 2023, the Argentine forward has scored 14 goals and provided 14 assists in 97 games. Add a Premier League trophy and a Carabao Cup to the list and the absence is no longer a glitch but a tear along the fault line. Liverpool without him is like a pub without beer—possible, but why would anyone stay?
Author’s take on Mac Allister absence
Let’s be honest—Liverpool should be worried. Slot’s decision to stick Szoboszlai at right-back smacks of desperation rather than tactical genius. Unless reinforcements arrive before the deadline shuts, the Reds will be tinkering with their line-ups rather than celebrating strikes. For a team that likes to think of itself as about rhythm, this start to the season resembles a drummer quitting in the middle of a song.
What comes after His absence?
Slot is expected to provide an update after the match, but the clock is ticking. Arsenal loom next weekend, and if Mac Allister remains unavailable, the Gunners will smell blood. Liverpool fans might want to buckle up—this season could be more rollercoaster than victory parade.