Argentina decision casts doubt over Mac Allister playing against Manchester United

Liverpool’s midfield plans for the upcoming clash with Manchester United may have been thrown into doubt following Argentina’s last-minute decision to move Alexis Mac Allister’s friendly against Puerto Rico to a new date and venue.

 

As confirmed by TyC Sports, the match will now take place on Tuesday night in Miami instead of Monday in Chicago. This leaves Arne Slot uncertain over Mac Allister’s fitness and recovery time ahead of United’s visit to Anfield.

 

The 26-year-old has been carefully managed since the end of last season due to lingering fitness concerns, with Slot previously commenting on a disrupted pre-season. Mac Allister has yet to complete a full 90 minutes this campaign, and the coaching staff remain cautious not to overload him amid a congested early-season schedule.

 

It’s clear the midfielder is not at full fitness, and Paul Scholes has recently criticized his performances. Initially, Argentina’s second friendly was scheduled for Monday in Chicago (early Tuesday morning UK time), allowing Mac Allister five days to return to Merseyside and prepare for the clash with United.

 

However, TyC Sports reports that the fixture has been shifted a day later to Chase Stadium, home of Inter Miami, meaning the World Cup winner won’t return to training until Thursday. The tighter turnaround could force Slot to consider alternatives such as Curtis Jones, who stayed at the AXA Training Centre during the break, or give Florian Wirtz a start in midfield if Mac Allister isn’t fully ready.

 

The venue change was reportedly made for “organisational reasons” and to allow additional time for ticket sales. Argentine reports also cite ongoing protests in Chicago related to immigration policies under former President Donald Trump, with local authorities unable to guarantee safety around the event.

 

This adjustment keeps Lionel Scaloni’s squad in Miami for the duration of the tour, avoiding an extra flight to Illinois but leaving Mac Allister with one less day to recover before Liverpool’s biggest test of the season so far.

 

With seven matches packed into 22 days after the international break, Slot knows that carefully managing key players like Mac Allister could be decisive in sustaining Liverpool’s momentum in the title race.