Why will Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo & Virgil van Dijk miss Liverpool vs Leeds United pre-season friendly?
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The Reds will play a pre-season game against the Peacocks tonight.
Liverpool face Leeds tonight in Chicago, as new manager Andoni Iraola continues to prepare for the upcoming season.
Following wins against Sunderland and Wrexham, the former AFC Bournemouth manager will have some big names to rely on for tonight’s encounter.
Ryan Gravenberch, Florian Wirtz, and Alexander Isak are now available for the Spaniard after reporting for duty following their respective nations’ World Cup involvement.
However, there are still some names that have not featured for the Reds in the pre-season. They won’t be playing as they are yet to return.
Some of the big names, such as Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister & Virgil van Dijk, have not played in any of Liverpool’s pre-season games. The Reds are set to play another pre-season game for the new season tonight.
Also read: Liverpool vs Leeds United Preview – prediction, team news, lineups | Pre-Season Friendly
Why will Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister & Virgil van Dijk miss the Liverpool vs Leeds United game?
Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo have started their pre-season training this week at the AXA Training Centre.
This is aimed at getting the duo back into the campaign. The Dutch duo played an incredible number of minutes last season and also played in the World Cup; as a result, they will be unable to participate in the game tonight.
Meanwhile, Alexis MacAllister is still on vacation after participating in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final against Spain. FIFPRO regulations demand that players have at least three weeks off. It will allow him to return to training after next weekend’s match against AS Monaco at Anfield.
Why won’t Alexis Mac Allister play tonight?
He is currently on vacation after playing in the World Cup 2026 final.
Why will Cody Gakpo & Virgil van Dijk miss the game?
They didn’t travel with the team but have returned to training at the club facility.
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After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.