After 30 matches over a hectic four-month period, Liverpool have a pause to their season as club action gives way to international duty for the next few days.
The bulk of Arne Slot’s squad will be in action for their countries over the coming week, and while Reds fans will be watching nervously and praying that nobody reports back to Merseyside injured, Caoimhin Kelleher has admitted that the break has come at a good time for LFC after their recent Champions League and Carabao Cup disappointment.
The goalkeeper is among 20 first-team players at Anfield who’ll be in international action this week. Here’s your guide to when you can watch each of them taking to the pitch.
Thursday 20th
Wataru Endo is the first of numerous Liverpool players in action on Thursday, with the midfielder set to captain Japan in their World Cup qualifier at home to Bahrain (10:35 GMT). The Blue Samurai are all but mathematically assured of their place at the finals; a win here would officially confirm it.
The UEFA Nations League sees a host of two-legged ties, either in the quarter-finals of League A or in relegation/promotion play-offs. Among the latter is Turkey v Hungary at 5pm, which’ll feature Dominik Szoboszlai as he hopes to put his Carabao Cup final frustrations behind him.
At 7:45pm, Reds left-backs Kostas Tsimikas and Andy Robertson line up against each other as Greece host Scotland, while Kelleher‘s Republic of Ireland are away to Bulgaria.
In the quarter-finals of the competition, Diogo Jota (Portugal) and Ibrahima Konate (France) take on Denmark and Croatia respectively, while Liverpool trio Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch are all in the Netherlands squad to face Spain at home.
Friday 21st
Two Reds teammates will be in opposition to one another in the early hours of Friday morning as Alisson Becker‘s Brazil host Luis Diaz‘s Colombia in World Cup qualifying (12:45am GMT). Another South American clash pitting clubmates against each other is Uruguay v Argentina (Darwin Nunez v Alexis Mac Allister), which kicks off at 11:30pm.
A couple of hours earlier, Mo Salah will be in action for Egpyt in their World Cup qualifier away to Ethiopia (9pm GMT).
Closer to home, Jarell Quansah could potentially make his senior England debut as they commence their World Cup qualifying campaign (and life under Thomas Tuchel) against Albania at Wembley (7:45pm), with Curtis Jones seeking another goal to go with the one he scored against Ireland in November.
At underage level, James McConnell and Trey Nyoni are with the English under-20 squad in the Euro Elite League away to Portugal (3pm), while Harvey Elliott is in line to feature in the under-21s’ friendly against France at 8pm.
Sunday 23rd
No Liverpool players are in action on Saturday, but plenty of the European contingent will take to the pitch the following day.
First up is the return leg of Scotland v Greece (Robertson v Tsimikas) at 5pm, with Szoboszlai‘s Hungary simultaneously facing Turkey as the respective teams learn whether they’ll be in Nations League A or B for the next campaign.
Later that night, Kelleher‘s Republic of Ireland will hope to retain their League B status against Bulgaria in Dublin (7:45pm), while at the same time Jota, Konate and the Dutch trio of Van Dijk, Gakpo and Gravenberch will all seek to clinch a place in the semi-finals of the competition.
Monday 24th
On Monday night, all eyes will be on the various England teams as regards Liverpool first-team players.
Quansah and Jones will hope to feature for the senior side in their World Cup qualifier at home to Latvia (7:45pm), while Elliott and the under-21s have a friendly against Portugal at The Hawthorns (also 7:45).
Meanwhile, McConnell and Nyoni will be with the under-20s for their Euro Elite League match against Switzerland in Marbella (7pm).
Tuesday 25th
Liverpool’s European contingent will have their international duty of the way by Tuesday, with attention turning to those in action further afield.
Endo‘s Japan could be already qualified for the World Cup by the time they host Saudi Arabia (10:35am GMT), while a few hours later, Salah and Egypt will hope to further strengthen their position at the top of their group in their home fixture against Sierra Leone (7pm).
At 8pm GMT, Nunez and Uruguay continue their qualification campaign for the 2026 finals with a daunting trip to the notorious altitude in Bolovia.
Wednesday 26th
Liverpool’s international involvement for March concludes in the early hours of Wednesday morning in round 14 of South America’s World Cup qualifiers.
Diaz and Colombia are at home to Peru (kick-off midnight GMT), and at the same time there’s the latest instalment of the epic rivalry between Argentina and Brazil, with Mac Allister‘s countrymen playing host to Alisson and co.
This international break comes with the welcome rarity of the Reds not being in action the following weekend, with even the South American contingent having a full week to recover for the Merseyside derby on 2 April.
