‘Was done’ - Jurgen Klopp reveals how £35m Liverpool player reacted to big decision

Jurgen Klopp has explained why Alexis Mac Allister was substituted at half-time of Liverpool’s victory over Wolves.

The Reds earned a 3-1 triumph at Molineux to continue their unbeaten start to the 2023-24 Premier League season. Yet they had to battle from a goal behind amid a lacklustre first-half performance.

Klopp dropped Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez to the bench after their international exploits with Colombia and Uruguay respectively. But fellow South American player Mac Allister kept his starting spot despite featuring twice for Argentina during the break.

The £35 million summer signing from Brighton was booked within five minutes and gave the ball away several times in the opening 45 minutes. As a result, he was replaced by Diaz at the interval. That change would help Liverpool change the tide of the game, with Cody Gakpo, Andy Robertson and a Hugo Bueno own goal ensuring a fourth victory in five games was achieved so far this campaign. .

Speaking at his post-match press conference as to why Mac Allister was brought off, Liverpool manager Klopp said: “He was done - yellow card and he was exhausted in the first half already. We know how good Alexis is and first half, the decision-making. We saw in the week when he has the oxygen mask, I'm not sure where but I thought a couple of times, they should have left it there a little bit longer. It was just tough.

“Come on, that's it for the day and a yellow card. In a game like this, it's pretty likely you come in a challenge a bit too late and get a second yellow and that's it. He had some good moments in the first half and some other moments. I think he was not really disappointed when we took him off, I think it was more of a relief.”