Jurgen Klopp is close to having all eight of his senior Liverpool midfielders available for selection after the September international break
Jurgen Klopp could soon have all of his new-look Liverpool midfield available for the first time as the Reds travel to Wolves on Saturday.
Liverpool completed a long-awaited engine-room overhaul, for now, on transfer deadline day with the signing of Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich. Joining in a deal worth up to £40m, he completed a £150m summer spending spree.
Having not been signed in time to be eligible to face Aston Villa in the Reds’ final match before the September international break, the Netherlands international is in line to make his debut at Molineux.
The midfielder caused controversy in his homeland after withdrawing from Netherlands Under-21s duty during the recent break,
imes in the Bundesliga and Champions League last season and, having only been utilised as a substitute by the Bavarians throughout pre-season, was limited to just nine minutes of substitute action prior to moving to Anfield.
Whether he will have impressed enough in training at the AXA Training Centre and proven his match fitness enough to be considered to start against Wolves remains to be seen.
Of course, Gravenberch isn’t the only midfielder who could come into contention, with Thiago Alcantara having used the international break to continue his recovery following hip surgery.
The Spaniard hasn’t played for the Reds since April because of the troublesome injury, with four substitute appearances that month his only outings since starting when Liverpool last travelled to Wolves in early-February. He had returned to team training last month, only to suffer a setback which pushed his return back until after the international break.
“Thiago had a little setback,” Klopp confirmed on transfer deadline day. “He started training with the team and had a little setback so we have to slow down there a little bit.
“It’s not cool for him, it’s not cool for us but it’s how it is. Thiago will use the (September) international break for that, to be up to speed I’m pretty sure. It should hopefully be enough.”
Out of contract next summer, Thiago has again been linked with a move to Turkey this week with foreign reports suggesting Trabzonspor will move for the midfielder before the Turkish transfer window closes on Friday. However, the 32-year-old is expected to see out his current deal and depart on a Bosman transfer.
Injuries have often curtailed Thiago’s impact during his three seasons at Anfield, with last season, where he was limited to just 14 Premier League starts, his most frustrating campaign yet. While Liverpool will manage his return carefully as a result, the Spaniard’s imminent presence, if back on schedule with his recovery, will still be a welcome boost for the Reds.
Admittedly his place in Liverpool’s current midfield, following a formation change to 3-2-2-3 and an £150m midfield overhaul is unclear, Klopp’s new-found strength-in-depth means Thiago won’t be over-relied on as the veteran looks to enjoy a successful, likely last, campaign on Merseyside.
Klopp will offer an update on Thiago’s availability in Friday’s pre-match press conference, with the midfielder not spotted in team training on Thursday, with the 32-year-old the last of the Reds’ engine-room options to be available for selection this season. But as the Spaniard slowly closes in on a return, compatriot Stefan Bajcetic took one big step to a Liverpool return himself during the international break.
The 18-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough campaign for the Reds last season, with an eye-catching start in an FA Cup trip to Molineux in January the moment he emerged as a starting XI option, making 19 appearances before an adductor injury ended his campaign prematurely in March. He returned to team training last month and has been on the bench for Liverpool’s last three matches, but is yet to be called upon by Klopp.
However, he made his playing return last week after being called up to the Spain Under-21s squad for the first time and being handed his debut against Malta. Bajcetic would make a 26-minute substitute appearance in Paola, coming on at centre-back as opposed to his traditional midfield role, as La Rojita kicked off 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification with an emphatic 6-0 win.
Bajcetic was then an unused substitute for Spain’s 1-0 victory over Scotland Under-21s, with manager Santi Denia having already confirmed the teenager was being managed carefully.
“I wanted him to be here so he could meet the group. He has a work plan that we previously knew about and which we are going to continue,” he told AS, quoted by Sport Witness ahead of facing Malta.
“He has signed up for Liverpool and although he hasn’t played, we’re looking forward to giving him minutes, even though playing there is very difficult.”
Having seemingly come through his international exploits unscathed, Bajcetic is one step closer to making a Reds playing return. However, Liverpool won’t throw him in at the deep end, with Klopp offering a reminder that the young Spaniard is still only a boy following his injury setback last year.
“From the very young ones I think Stefan is the standout player,” the German said back in March. “He was absolutely exceptional (this season). Played like a man. Unfortunately a kid’s body, that caught him, if you want. But anyway, the signs he gave us are super, super promising.”
Consequently, a Reds return is perhaps more likely against LASK Linz in the Europa League or Leicester City in the League Cup with Liverpool anxious not to rush Bajcetic back into men’s senior football.
While the trio might not be thrown in the Reds’ starting XI at Wolves, it has been a good international break for Klopp’s five midfield options that have featured in their first four games of the season.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister both maintained their impressive club form for their nations as they enjoyed unbeaten international breaks with Hungary and Argentina respectively.
The former captained Hungary as they claimed an impressive 2-1 victory over Serbia in Belgrade in their latest Euro 2024 qualifier to stay unbeaten and remain top of Group G, before fighting out a 1-1 draw with Czech Republic in Budapest. The midfielder would complete the full 90 minutes in both matches.
Meanwhile, Mac Allister would help Argentina kick start their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign with back-to-back wins over Ecuador and Bolivia. Initially starting as a number eight against the Ecuadorians, he would move deeper as the world champions clinched a hard-fought late 1-0 victory before again being utilised as a number six, as he has been at Liverpool, for an impressive 3-0 victory in high-altitude away against the Bolivians.
Completing 77 minutes and 85 minutes respectively in Buenos Aires and La Paz, it remains to be seen how the most extensive of international exploits will impact Mac Allister ahead of Saturday’s trip to Wolves. Considering Liverpool’s Premier League return is the 12.30pm kick-off, Klopp will have a decision to make regarding whether the Argentine is in perfect condition to start or would instead be better used from the bench.
While Szoboszlai and Mac Allister have both shone in their opening months as Reds players, Wataru Endo has enjoyed a quieter start since his shock move from VfB Stuttgart. In truth, this was always to be expected, with Klopp admitting as much at the start of the month.
“We pretty much have to reinvent the team,” Klopp acknowledged on deadline day before Gravenberch was officially a Liverpool player. “The midfield is now already and will be completely new…
“I really think we did good business. The players we brought in are really good, will help the team, will even get better. I think especially for Macca and Dom, everybody can see that already.
“For Endo it is a massive step, massive change in the way he used to play and the way we play, so that obviously needs a bit of time to get there, but it is no problem…
“Yes, we got younger – but we had to. We are less experienced but that is normal but we are full of desire and I love this team.”
Utilised only as a late substitute against Aston Villa, Endo has enjoyed the most eye-catching of international breaks with Japan. He would captain the Blue Samurai to a shock 4-1 victory over Germany in Wolfsburg, completing the full 90 minutes, before coming on for the final 27 minutes in their 4-2 victory over Turkey in Genk.
On a high after such results, if Klopp did wish to protect Mac Allister upon his return from South America, then Endo would be well-placed to come into the Liverpool midfield on a high at number six.
Elsewhere, having impressed as a substitute for the Reds so far this season, Harvey Elliott made his first start of the campaign as England Under-21s kicked off their European Championships defence with a 3-0 qualifier victory over Luxembourg in Differdange. Completing a welcome 90 minutes, he will be hungry to push on back on Merseyside.
Meanwhile, Curtis Jones is no longer eligible to be part of the England Under-21s set-up after scoring their winning goal in this summer’s European Championships final victory over Spain. However, his lack of international action this month is no bad thing.
The 22-year-old missed Liverpool’s victories over Bournemouth and Newcastle United with an ankle injury, before returning to start in an impressive victory over Aston Villa. Having often struggled with injuries over the last two seasons before finishing last season in form, he will have been free to ensure he is fit and raring to go when the Reds return to action against Wolves.
Liverpool navigated the opening month of the campaign well with depleted midfield options, picking up 10 points from a maximum 12 to sit third in the table. But now Klopp’s engine-room hand is nearly at its strongest.
With the Reds set to take in Europa League and League Cup action in the weeks ahead, Liverpool will need all eight of their midfield options to compete on all fronts. And while you would expect Szobozlai, Mac Allister, Jones, and Endo to be competing for the three starting positions against Wolves at Molineux, soon Klopp will be faced with a much more challenging, yet welcome, selection dilemma. £150m well-spent, it would seem, it is a liberty he has not often been afforded.
