Liverpool boss Arne Slot may have to drop 'exhausted' star when Premier League returns

Liverpool boss has been warned he may need to drop "exhausted" Luis Diaz.

The Colombia star was substituted late in a shock defeat to 10-man Bolivia on Thursday night. And are questioning whether he'll be giving Kop chief Slot a headache when the resumes next weekend. are set to take on at Anfield on Sunday October 20.

The additional 24 hours rest will be vital for players returning from representing their national team.

But question marks could still be asked about Diaz because play late Tuesday night against Chile, meaning the forward will not return to Merseyside until Wednesday night at the earliest while battling severe jet lag.

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

Alexis Mac Allister, meanwhile, was not fit enough to be involved for Argentina as they drew 1-1 away to Venezuela - with Nicolas Otamendi putting the champions in front before Salomon Rondon, the former and West Bromwich Albion centre forward, equalised for the hosts.

at Selhurst Park with a groin issue and it is unclear how severe the strain is despite him linking up with his national team half the world away.

After the 1-0 win at Palace that kept the Reds top of the table, Slot said: “How bad it is, that’s difficult for me to judge at this moment. He could have continued playing as you saw because it didn’t happen one second before half-time.

“But he felt it a bit too much and said he doesn’t think it’s too good to keep on playing because you never know, he might make it worse. What is the exact situation – can he go to Argentina, can he go and play over there? That’s difficult for me to tell you now. His injury is in the groin area.”

Among the other Liverpool players on international duty Wataru Endo led Japan in their 2-0 victory away to Saudi Arabia in their World Cup qualifier.

Closer to home played the full 90 minutes in England's dreadful home loss to . Kostas Tsimikas was missing through illness for the away side and Curtis Jones remained on the bench for the hosts.

And goalkeeper enjoyed a rare Ireland win as they came from behind to defeat Finland in Helsinki, while centre back Ibrahima Konate briefly captained France during their 4-1 win against .

and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our