5 Liverpool Players to Watch on International Duty Week of October 6
With their 2-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion at Anfield on Saturday, Liverpool enter the international break with their first three points in the Premier League since their win at Tottenham Hotspur back in late August.
Just a few days after Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana and Raheem Sterling combined to fire the Reds to victory on Saturday, all three will embark on England duty as key players for Roy Hodgson’s side.
But apart from the English trio, plenty other Reds will be featuring across international fixtures this week. Here are five to watch with particular interest.
Raheem Sterling, England
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No matter how many times it’s been said over the past few months, Raheem Sterling really has enjoyed a stellar calendar year for club and country, becoming a key player for both Liverpool and England.
With Luis Suarez’s departure and Daniel Sturridge’s injury, Sterling has had much of Liverpool’s attacking and creative responsibilities thrust upon his 19-year-old back in the first few weeks of the season, and it’s no surprise that his precocious powers have seemingly waned over the past few games.
From Brendan Rodgers’ point of view, it would probably be ideal for Sterling to get some much-needed rest over the next two weeks, but with Hodgson having made Sterling a focal point of his forward line, the Liverpool manager might not get his wish.
While Liverpool fans will be proud that one of their hottest young talents has risen so quickly through the England ranks, they will be sure to keep an eye on Sterling’s performances and game time for England, hoping to have a fit and firing Sterling back at Anfield after the international break.
Rickie Lambert, England
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Where Liverpool’s concern with Sterling lies with keeping him fresh and rested and not overplayed for England, they will want the international break to get Rickie Lambert back up to speed in terms of goalscoring form.
After two excellent seasons in the top flight with Southampton, it’s safe to say that Lambert hasn’t exactly set Anfield alight since making a fairytale switch to his hometown club. Tasked with leading the line against West Brom, he had a few efforts on goal saved and was replaced by Mario Balotelli around the hour mark.
Whether it’s an issue of confidence or physical fitness, Lambert needs to rediscover his form in front of goal if he is to remain a key member of Rodgers’ squad this season. With Sturridge on his way back from injury and Balotelli looking to continue developing a promising strike partnership, Lambert might find starting opportunities increasingly hard to come by.
A triumphant return to the England fold would be a timely boost to his confidence and would, Reds fans hope, finally kickstart his Anfield career upon his return.
Lazar Markovic, Serbia
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Much like Lambert, fellow new recruit Lazar Markovic has found settling into life at Liverpool rather challenging, and while bullish off the field, the young Serbian has appeared timid on it, passing up chances to shoot on goal when presented the opportunity.
It hasn’t helped that Sterling has quickly become a Rodgers and fan favorite in the No. 10 role behind the striker, Markovic’s favored position for Benfica. Being played in a less natural position out wide as a more orthodox winger has curtailed his devastating direct running and creativity.
Yet while he has yet to show many signs of the raw talent that convinced Liverpool to part with £20 million to bring him to Anfield, Markovic has still been given quite a few opportunities to prove himself of late.
Both Rodgers and Liverpool fans will be keeping a keen eye on his performances for Serbia this week to see what he can really produce.
Philippe Coutinho, Brazil
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While Balotelli’s arrival has already attracted more media coverage to Merseyside, if there has been an enigma at Liverpool this season it’s Philippe Coutinho, who has confused Reds fans with his stop-start form.
After a scintillating preseason campaign, Coutinho’s form and confidence dropped massively in league play, and Sturridge’s injury, which deprived Coutinho of a quick and direct attacking outlet up front to supply his trademark lethal through balls, won’t have helped his performances.
Ironically, his downturn in form came just after a return to the Brazilian national squad in August, but after a period on the sidelines, Coutinho has started to rediscover his creative spark and put in an encouraging display in a deeper midfield role on Saturday.
Dunga has given him another chance to impress on international level. A fruitful two games for Brazil might just see Coutinho continue to pick up his game ahead of a crucial period in Liverpool’s season.
Simon Mignolet, Belgium
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Just a few months ago, Simon Mignolet got himself involved in a public war of words with his goalkeeping rival at international level, Thibaut Courtois, as reported by ESPN.co.uk.
Since then, winning La Liga with Atletico Madrid, a steady run with Belgium at the World Cup and a strong start to life as Chelsea’s new No. 1, coupled with Mignolet’s own unconvincing form for Liverpool, has seen Courtois emerge as the clear winner in the battle for the gloves for Marc Wilmots’ side.
Yet Courtois sustained a concussion on Sunday during Chelsea’s win over Arsenal that saw him taken off the field for safety issues and replaced with Blues legend Petr Cech, an injury that will likely rule him out for Belgium’s upcoming games.
That provides Mignolet with a chance to impress in Courtois’ stead. He will see these games as an opportunity to pick himself up after a disappointing start to Liverpool’s season.
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