Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker and midfielder Wataru Endo spent their international break at the club's AXA Training Centre due to hamstring injuries, rather than representing their countries. The pair were absent when Japan faced Brazil in a friendly match in Tokyo on Tuesday, a game that ended in a shock 3-2 defeat for the South Americans.
Curtis Jones shared a picture on his Instagram story showing Alisson and Endo watching the match from the gym at Liverpool's training facility, with emoji flags of Japan and Brazil. The image highlighted the duo's keen interest despite being sidelined by injury concerns that also kept them out of their respective national squads.
Alisson sustained his hamstring issue in Liverpool's recent Champions League match against Galatasaray, while Endo picked up his injury during the Reds' defeat to Chelsea. They join Giovanni Leoni on the injury list, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury on his debut against Southampton last month. There are also concerns over Ibrahima Konate and Ryan Gravenberch, who withdrew from international duty with quad and hamstring problems respectively.
Japan's comeback was led by former Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino, who captained the side in Endo's absence and scored one of the second-half goals that overturned Brazil's 2-0 lead. Other Liverpool players not involved in international action this break include Curtis Jones, Federico Chiesa, and Joe Gomez.
