5 Liverpool Players to Watch During November International Break
It doesn't seem long since the last international break. For Liverpool, that's possibly because they've accumulated a rather paltry four Premier League points since then—just one point more than Burnley.
Brendan Rodgers' side returned from the break with an unconvincing win over QPR, were humbled at home to Real Madrid, stuttered to a 0-0 draw against Hull City at Anfield, managed to beat Swansea in the League Cup with two late goals, then lost to Newcastle, Madrid and Chelsea within a week.
It's been a miserable month for the Merseysiders, with several of their higher-profile players looking out of form. A host of them were dropped for the trip to the Bernabeu, only to be reinstated against Chelsea at the weekend.
Some of those players may be looking forward to a change of scenery while away with their country, a chance to refresh and get away from the negativity engulfing Anfield.
Here are five Liverpool players to watch during this final international break of the year (rejoice).
Raheem Sterling (England)
1 of 5
The obvious one to start with is teenager Raheem Sterling, whose last international break was the focus of much controversy thanks to Roy Hodgson's public embarrassing of the 19-year-old.
Since then, Sterling has been struggling for form with Liverpool—used predominantly out wide by Rodgers and thus not influencing games as he was early this season and for the latter part of last season.
England play Slovenia in a Euro 2016 qualifier on Saturday prior to their friendly against Scotland next Tuesday. Sterling should feature in both games, and it will be interesting to see how Hodgson uses him and whether the player looks pressured from the events of the last international break.
Dejan Lovren (Croatia)
2 of 5
When Rodgers said back in September that some of his new signings were struggling with the "weight of the jersey," per Andy Hunter in The Guardian, he could well have been talking directly about £20 million man Dejan Lovren.
Since then, the Croat has failed to impress. Much like Liverpool as a team, his form continues to show no signs of improvement.
Croatia have two tough games, a friendly against Argentina and a qualifier against Italy, and how Lovren performs in each will be interesting to watch.
Philippe Coutinho (Brazil)
3 of 5
Philippe Coutinho has been Liverpool's best player of the past month, whether as a sub or from the start. His removal against Chelsea was met by boos of derision at Anfield on Saturday.
Rodgers perhaps feels the 22-year-old is unable to influence games for the full 90 minutes, but with Liverpool so badly out of form, Coutinho is one of the few who has been creating chances and looking for the ball.
Having only recently regained his place in the Brazil squad, Coutinho will be keen to impress for his country, who play two games in Europe against Turkey and Austria.
Jordan Henderson (England)
4 of 5
Jordan Henderson was one of Liverpool's key players last season and an absolute dynamo in midfield. His energy literally meant he was the proverbial engine room of the season.
This season, however, he has struggled to regain that form and hasn't been able to influence play quite as he did before.
How he's deployed for England will be interesting to note and whether he can embrace a change of scenery.
Mario Balotelli (Italy)
5 of 5
Clearly Mario Balotelli's one goal in the past month—against Swansea in the League Cup—impressed Italy manager Antonio Conte.
Balotelli has been recalled to the Italy squad for the first time under Conte's reign for their games against Croatia and Albania over the international break.
It's been another month of frustration for the 24-year-old, yet to score a Premier League goal for Liverpool.
Balotelli's form can perhaps be mitigated by Rodgers' refusal to pair him with another forward, continuing to leave him isolated in attack. How he is used for Italy will be of interest to Liverpool fans.
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