Trent Alexander-Arnold has been the Liverpool name on everyone’s lips during the September international break, having seen his World Cup hopes dealt a big blow by England boss Gareth Southgate.
An unused substitute for the Three Lions’ Nations League loss to Italy, he was left out of the matchday squad entirely as they drew 3-3 against Germany in his absence. With Southgate confirming Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier and Recce James are all ahead of the Reds defender, who has admittedly started the season out of form, in the pecking order, he is facing an uphill battle to be included in England’s 26-man squad for Qatar this winter.
With Jurgen Klopp set to face the media at his latest pre-match press conference on Friday lunchtime, the German is almost certain to be asked about the defender’s international fortunes. After all, naturally protective of his players, he has publicly shared his bemusement and questioned Southgate’s use of Alexander-Arnold in the past.
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Yet the Liverpool right-back isn’t the only player who Klopp could be forgiven for feeling particularly frustrated for following the conclusion of the international break. Overlooked in comparison to Alexander-Arnold, oh, won’t somebody please think of the Brazilians?
The German has been a vocal critic of Brazil manager Tite’s use of Fabinho in recent years, and the latest window will have done little to change his views.
"I'm not sure if Tite's too worried because he never plays him, so he will probably now not sit on the bench for the next three international games,” Klopp said to a Brazilian journalist after losing the midfielder to injury back in October 2020. "For us it's obviously a proper blow but for now we don't know.”
Two years on and while Fabinho has now played 28 times for his country, his situation has hardly improved. Brazil faced Ghana and Tunisia in their final friendlies before the World Cup, recording 3-0 and 5-1 victories.
Starting neither, the Liverpool midfielder came off the bench in the 63rd minute against Ghana, while he was left unused against Tunisia. To add insult to injury, Manchester United's Casemiro and West Ham United's Lucas Paqueta started as a midfield two against the Ghanaians, with Fred coming into the starting XI against the Tunisians.
While good players in their own right, even without red-tinted glasses on, Klopp will be at a loss as to how they start ahead of Fabinho, who he considers the best number six in the world.
When at Real Madrid, Tite could perhaps justify Casemiro’s inclusion. Yet the 30-year-old, who is no longer at his peak, has only started once since joining the Red Devils last month and that was in the Europa League. Meanwhile, Fred hasn’t started in the Premier League since being dropped after United’s 4-0 loss to Brentford.
You can understand why Klopp would be at a loss as to why Fabinho isn’t first-choice for Brazil in such circumstances, and why he was afforded such little game-time across two meaningless friendlies. With no more outings before the World Cup, it’s a damning indictment of his place in the pecking order ahead of Qatar 2022.
The only blessing for the German this time will be his midfielder’s lack of action came closer to home, with both friendlies taking place in France to spare the 28-year-old the usual 11,000 mile round-trip back to his homeland only to sit warming a substitute’s bench.
Fabinho was joined on the bench for both games by teammate Roberto Firmino, who had been recalled by Tite having not played for Brazil since last year’s Copa America final defeat to Argentina. Yet he wasn’t afforded any minutes as he was left unused against both friendlies.
Admittedly the forward was unfortunate not to add to his caps last season, with international breaks either coinciding with his uncharacteristic injury lay-offs or squads being named only after he had just returned to training. But he has fallen down the pecking order despite his recall.
First-choice in attack after the 2018 World Cup, he featured in all but three of Brazil’s 28 matches prior to last year’s Copa America, starting 22 out of 25 including all six matches in their 2019 Copa America triumph, returning nine goals and four assists. Yet he'd start just two games at the 2021 Copa America as he lost his place, only completing more than 45 minutes once and left as an unused substitute for the opening game and semi-final.
Given his fortunes over the past 12 months, it’s hardly a surprise that the 30-year-old hasn’t added to his 55 international caps. But eyebrows will certainly be raised behind closed doors at the AXA Training Centre as to how Firmino didn’t feature at all in Brazil’s two-final pre-World Cup friendlies despite being called up.
Given in-form Arsenal duo Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli were both left out of the latest Brazil squad, it perhaps suggests that the Liverpool forward is facing the increasing threat of missing out on a call-up to Qatar.
Of course, there are still six weeks for both Fabinho and Firmino to catch Tite’s eye, but history would suggest his mind isn’t for changing. The staunchest defender of his own players, Klopp’s opinion on the pair’s international prospects will certainly be fascinating.
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