Arne Slot will have at least five senior players for the start of Liverpool’s pre-season tour

Alexis Mac Allister took a new stand as he helped Argentina book their place in the quarter-finals of the Copa America on Tuesday night.

The Liverpool midfielder started as a left midfielder in a 4-4-2 formation for the defending world champions’ opening win over Canada and set up the opener for Julian Alvarez in their 2-0 victory.

But Lionel Scaloni made two changes to his midfield against Chile, with Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Gonzalez coming on for Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes. As a result, Mac Allister partnered Chelsea man Fernandez and was deployed as their deepest midfielder, with Gonzalez taking his place on the left and Rodrigo De Paul moving to the right.

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A late Lautaro Martínez strike earned Argentina a 1-0 win to clinch qualification for the knockout stages with a game to play. However, they have yet to take first place, with Canada able to finish level on points with them if the final round of group matches goes their way.

Unlike the European Championship, position is decided first by goal difference when points are equal, as opposed to head-to-head record. As a result, Argentina would have already secured top spot if they competed at Euro 2024, but will have to wait to secure top spot at the Copa America. They’re in the driver’s seat, though, boasting a +3 goal differential compared to Canada’s -1.

Argentina will face Peru in their final group game on June 29, while Canada will face Chile.

If Argentina win Group A, they will face the runners-up from Group B in the next round. If they are usurped, they will face the winners of Group B instead, with possible opposition in Venezuela, Mexico, Ecuador or Jamaica.

Their quarter-final clash will take place on either July 4 or July 5, depending on their final group position. Argentina are expected to progress further in the tournament, but Liverpool traditionally give their international players three weeks off after tournament trips, meaning the Reds will be without Mac Allister for much of pre-season.

Should Argentina suffer a quarter-final exit, he will only report on the eve of their pre-season tour of the United States at the end of July, depending on when the team flies out. He reaches the semi-finals and will at least miss the start of such a tournament.

Meanwhile, with Darwin Nunez’s Uruguay currently set to face either Luis Diaz’s Colombia or Alisson Becker’s Brazil in the quarter-finals on July 6, at least one of the trio looks likely to reach the little in the semi-finals of the Copa America. Taking place on July 9 and 10, the participation will overlap with the start of the tour in the United States.

Mac Allister wasn’t the only Liverpool player in international action on Tuesday as England, France and the Netherlands all secured their places in the last 16 at Euro 2024.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was withdrawn from midfield by Gareth Southgate before coming on at right-back as an 84th-minute substitute as England drew 0-0 with Slovenia. Joe Gomez was unused but the result was still enough for the Three Lions to top Group C and avoid potential last-16 meetings with Germany or Portugal in the process.

However, they are currently set to face the Netherlands after Ronald Koeman’s side suffered a shock 3-2 defeat to Austria to finish third in Group D. Cody Gakpo scored the second goal of the tournament to cancel out Donyell Malen’s own goal and draw level. level at 1-1 just after the break, but Virgil van Dijk was ultimately at fault for Marcel Sabitzer’s late winner.

Ryan Gravenberch was left unused for a third successive group game – as was Ibrahima Konate as France drew 1-1 with Poland despite pre-match reports suggesting he would be fit to start.

As it stands, England face the Netherlands on Sunday, although Wednesday night’s Group E results could see the Three Lions face the third-placed team.

If the Dutch prove to be their next opponents, then Arne Slot will welcome back at least two members of his legacy squad for pre-season training a week before Liverpool travel to the United States, joining Andy Robertson after elimination Scotland last weekend. However, the Reds of the winners would risk missing the start of the US tournament due to their progression in the tournament, with a quarter-final clash set for July 6.

One of Dominik Szoboszlai and Vitezslav Jaros will also join the Scot, suffering a group stage exit and returning early for pre-season. Hungary are currently on course to go into the knockout stages as one of the best-placed third-placed teams, but if the Czech Republic beat Turkey on Wednesday night, they will instead progress at the expense of the Hungarians.

If Hungary reach the last 16, another match with Liverpool is on the cards, with the third-placed team in Group A a possible opponent for Diogo Jota’s Portugal in the next round. Consequently, while either the Portuguese or Szoboszlai would report for pre-season a week before the Reds’ US tour, the other would only return on the eve of the Slot team’s first scheduled friendly against Real Betis on July 27 (UK time ).

As a result, while Robertson is currently set to return around a week into pre-season, along with Szoboszlai or Jaros, Slot is now set to be without a number of international players until the end of July at the earliest.