Alexis MacAllister has revealed that the rapid turnaround between international service and Liverpool’s seismic clash with Manchester City was difficult for him.

During the international break, the Reds midfielder represented Argentina and played in Brazil on Wednesday morning, just days before Liverpool traveled to Manchester for a tantalizing meeting against the reigning Premier League champions.

Mac Allister began in a deeper role for the match at the Etihad, which concluded in a 1-1 tie as Trent Alexander-Arnold equalized Erling Haaland’s first-half effort. However, the midfield maestro later revealed that the quick turnaround and considerable travel had taken their toll after the decision to make Liverpool against Manchester City the weekend’s early kick-off.

“Honestly, it’s so hard to play like this,” Mac Allister stated after the game on LFCTV. We were in a meeting yesterday talking about Man City and how we wanted to play, and I couldn’t keep my eyes open!

“It’s a long trip with jet lag.” But it is what it is; we enjoy playing football, and we want to win, which is why we gave it our all today.”

Mac Allister was far from the only Liverpool star who was sure to be exhausted, with the club’s three other South American talents – Alisson Becker, Luis Diaz, and Darwin Nunez – all in the same boat. In order to get them ready for the weekend, the quartet was flown back to Merseyside aboard a private plane.

Jurgen Klopp has been particularly vocal about the difficult turnaround that several of his stars endure after the international break whenever Liverpool is forced to play in the Premier League’s early kick-off.

Jurgen Klopp has spoken out against Liverpool’s recent string of 12.30pm kick-offs during the international break.

The Reds have now appeared in the 12:30pm Saturday slot directly after the international break three times in a row, and Klopp has again expressed his displeasure with the Premier League’s broadcasting partners, Sky Sports and TNT Sports, ahead of the trip to the Etihad.

“OK, no one can say at the moment, but how can you put a game like this on Saturday at 12.30pm?” Klopp questioned in the run-up to the encounter. To be honest, the people making decisions cannot experience football; it is simply not conceivable. And nobody has told us if that is the moment when the world pays the most to watch a football game. I honestly don’t know if that’s the case.”

“There could have been a moment when you have these two teams with about 30 international players,” he continued. By the way, all of the South American players return on the same plane. They all return. We flew them from Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia. All we have to do now is make sure we’re prepared for this game.”