Why Alexis Mac Allister Missed Liverpool’s Behind-Closed-Doors Friendly Against Stoke
In a rare sight for Liverpool fans this season, Alexis Mac Allister was missing from the squad in their closed-door friendly against Stoke City at the AXA Training Centre.
Mac Allister was a key figure in Arne Slot’s setup last season, logging 3,569 minutes across 49 appearances—making him the fourth most-used player in the squad (via Transfermarkt). Despite this, he was absent from Sunday’s 5-0 victory, where Darwin Núñez stole the show with a first-half hat-trick.
While stars like Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, and Dominik Szoboszlai featured, along with newcomers Florian Wirtz and Giorgi Mamardashvili, Mac Allister’s absence was noticeable.
However, fans need not worry—according to journalist Lorenzo Lepore, the Argentine midfielder is not on the verge of a transfer. Instead, he’s been training separately as part of a recovery plan for an old injury.
The 26-year-old missed Liverpool’s final two games last season, including the emotional return to Brighton, due to a muscle issue. He also sat out Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers in June.
Given Liverpool’s packed schedule next season—which could reach 60 matches—and Mac Allister’s expected role in Argentina’s major international fixtures in the USA, the club is wisely taking a cautious approach to his recovery.
He’s likely to return to action before the Premier League opener against Bournemouth in 26 days, and there will be more opportunities to build match fitness before then.
His midfield link-up with Ryan Gravenberch was a highlight last season, and fans will hope both can continue to dominate in 2025/26.
