Arne Slot may call upon Liverpool trio after intense individual training during the international break.

Remarkably, it’s been only 11 days since Liverpool’s dramatic late defeat to Chelsea, though the fallout from that loss and the subsequent international break have made it feel far longer. Despite what the calendar says, there’s little doubt that significant work has been done at the AXA Training Centre during that time.

 

While the break likely offered Arne Slot and his players some much-needed breathing space, the Liverpool boss will have spent much of it analysing the three straight defeats that have shifted the mood around the club. The recent run has prompted deep reflection and raised questions about both the team and Slot himself — answers to which will unfold in the coming weeks.

 

However, as Slot observed training at Kirkby recently, he may have spotted some timely solutions to his squad’s problems.

 

Injuries kept Alisson, Wataru Endo, and Giovanni Leoni out of international duty, but three other senior players — Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones, and Federico Chiesa — also remained at the AXA Training Centre after being left out of their national squads.

 

The trio have used the break to focus on fitness and recovery, following tailored training programmes after their own injury setbacks. Between them, they boast 72 international caps.

 

Gomez, once a regular for England, regained his spot last year and featured in four friendlies ahead of Euro 2024. Jones, meanwhile, will feel aggrieved to have missed out after impressing under Lee Carsley and Thomas Tuchel — even scoring on his England debut against Greece — only for injuries to halt his momentum.

 

Chiesa remains something of a mystery. The Italian winger, who owns 51 of those caps, hasn’t featured for his country since joining Liverpool last summer, despite playing in all four of Italy’s Euro 2024 matches.

 

Given their limited game time — just five starts between them this season, three coming in the League Cup win over Southampton — it’s no surprise they were overlooked internationally. Yet, with ongoing concerns over Ibrahima Konaté’s form and fitness, Alexis Mac Allister’s midfield consistency, and Liverpool’s attacking struggles, Gomez, Jones, and Chiesa could all push for greater involvement soon.

 

Slot has been watching them closely during the break — and they might just have given him something

to think about.