International breaks always feel like they drag on forever, but this one has felt a bit different around Anfield.
While most of the squad has been away on duty, the huge news broke off the pitch: Manchester City were found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules. It has added a whole new layer of drama to October 11, when City travel to Anfield.
Suddenly, an already massive fixture feels even bigger, and Liverpool will find themselves as the default favourites for neutral fans across the country.\
For head coach Andoni Iraola, though, none of that noise changes the job at hand.
While he waits for his international stars to fly back, Iraola has been working with a skeleton crew down at the AXA Training Centre in Kirkby. Only a few senior names have been around Alisson Becker, Freddie Woodman, Joe Gomez, and Wataru Endo. But rather than taking his foot off the gas or giving everyone extra days off, Iraola has stuck strictly to his normal training schedule.
To make up the numbers, he brought in a group of youngsters from the Under-21s and Under-18s. Iraola wants every team in the club playing the exact same style of football, so throwing the academy lads straight into first-team drills made total sense.
Among those stepping up, two names have really caught the eye: James McConnell and Jayden Danns.
McConnell has already shown what he can do this season. Iraola blocked him from going out on loan in the summer, and he proved why with a top performance against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup. With senior midfielders returning late from long trips abroad, McConnell is putting himself in a great position to feature again soon.
Then there is Danns. Liverpool fans have been desperate to see the 20-year-old forward get a proper run of games after a nightmare two years with injuries. While Lewis Koumas has made huge strides, Danns offers something a bit different he works his socks off, has a physical presence, and knows where the back of the net is.
When news came through that Alexander Isak had to leave the Sweden camp early, it was a sharp reminder of how thin Liverpool's options are up front. That makes Danns’ timing perfect.
Iraola has proven since he arrived that if you work hard in training, you get your chance. For Danns and McConnell, this three-week break might just be the stepping stone they needed.
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