Why Frimpong’s international omission matters more than it seems
Jeremie Frimpong being trimmed from the Netherlands’ final matchday squad for this international break is one of those stories that looks minor on the surface but says plenty about where his season currently stands. Xavi named 24 players for the window, only 23 could be registered for the fixture itself, and it was Frimpong who missed the final cut.
A squad list that reflects life at Anfield
The timing is what makes it sting. Frimpong has not been a guaranteed starter for Liverpool this season, with Andoni Iraola regularly opting for Ronald Araujo at right back instead. When a player is already competing hard for club minutes, losing out on international recognition too just adds to the sense that things are not quite clicking for him at the moment.
We would not read too much into a single squad list on its own. Someone was always going to be the unlucky twenty fourth man, and that is simply how squad numbers work. But for a full back who built his reputation on relentless, high energy performances, spending an international break watching on rather than playing is not the platform he would have wanted heading back into a congested Liverpool run of fixtures.
Frimpong is not the only one watching from outside
He has got company, too. Rio Ngumoha and Victor Munoz also found themselves left out of their countries’ final squads for this window, despite being involved earlier in the get together. Neither was carrying an injury, which suggests this is more of a numbers squeeze across the board for Liverpool’s fringe internationals than any specific message being sent about Frimpong individually.
It is still a reminder of how deep the queue for minutes has become for Liverpool players, both at club level and on the international stage. There are further fixtures against Greece and Serbia still to come in this window, so there is time yet for Frimpong to force his way back into contention before the break ends.
The bigger picture: Isak’s fitness and the return to action
Elsewhere, Liverpool’s attention will also be on Alexander Isak, who is back on Merseyside carrying a minor issue picked up while on international duty with Sweden. Isak found the net for his country before being withdrawn from their remaining matches, and the club’s medical staff are expected to assess him at the AXA Training Centre before any decision is made on his availability.
For Frimpong, the task ahead is simpler even if it is no less demanding. He needs to get back to Liverpool, make his case in training, and be ready whenever Iraola turns to him. With the Reds not back in action until the trip to face Manchester City on 11 October, there is a decent stretch of time to make an impression before it counts again. A quiet international break is easily forgotten. A slow response to it would not be.