What Bukayo Saka just accomplished for Arsenal validates Gary Neville’s assessment of Liverpool.

During the March international break, Jurgen Klopp may have been tempted to employ a classic Alex Ferguson strategy, but the Liverpool manager has apparently refrained for the time being.

In recent days, the major guns of the Premier League have begun to fall out one by one like flies.

It’s also possible that the sudden withdrawal of so many of the key players—those who will have a significant influence on the outcome of the game—from international service is not surprising.

The Belgium star, Kevin De Bruyne, will not play for his country in the next week or so due to his absence from Manchester City’s FA Cup victory over Newcastle United last week. Erling Haaland, on the other hand, is now the latest uncertainty for Norway following his withdrawal from training earlier this week.

As a result of Bukayo Saka’s suspension at Arsenal, he will not play for England in the forthcoming friendlies against Brazil and Belgium for Gareth Southgate’s team.

“Bukayo Saka has left the England camp and returned to his club for continued rehabilitation,” according to a statement from the FA. “The forward for Arsenal arrived at St. George’s Park injured and hasn’t been allowed to take part in practise. A 25-man England squad is currently practicing for the next internationals against Brazil and Belgium; no more substitutions are anticipated.”

Darwin Nunez, who was injured in the 4-3 loss to Manchester United, has stayed on Merseyside at Liverpool. Meanwhile, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo, two more players who were injured in the FA Cup loss at Old Trafford, have reported for duty with Colombia and the Netherlands, respectively.

During this crucial period of the season, managers are naturally worried about their main players playing in international friendlies that don’t hold much significance for the general public.

But when it comes to the vital components of a Premier League match, Pep Guardiola, Mike Arteta, and Jurgen Klopp may all be erring on the side of caution when they withdraw important players.

“This March [international break] is something I’m kind of attached to,” Gary Neville said on his Stick to Football podcast this week. “Alex Ferguson, the manager, would pull players out at this point. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, it will be interesting to see how many players from Arsenal, City, and Liverpool are removed. Haaland and De Bruyne have already left.

“We were aiming for the triple crown in the 1998–1999 season, and Beckham, Scholes, and I were excluded from England matches for the March internationals. Ferguson used to go with Wes Brown and Nicky Butt, and Phil (Neville) used to go with them. “You three out, you three go [on duty],” he declared.

“He detested the international break in March. He truly detested it, I mean that. In general, September, October, and November should be trouble-free assuming it was a legitimate qualifier. However, if the games in March were friendly, he wouldn’t have it.

“He would assert that our season is not being affected in any manner. And at that point in the season, you understood it. Being in the middle of a title run-in, I think this meeting is incredibly ill-timed.

“He would assert that our season is not being affected in any manner. And at that point in the season, you understood it. Being in the middle of a title run-in, I think this meeting is incredibly ill-timed. Move it to the beginning of August, December, or whatever.

“Ferguson would have made a deal with the foreign management at that point. You can have them in the summer, but not right now. We have a treble up for grabs. I will guess that Declan Rice, Saka, or Phil Foden will withdraw from the second game; I have a strong feeling about it.”

Neville’s forecast has proven to be spot-on in Saka’s instance, and while traditionalists may snipe, cynics will point out that Arteta and Saka might well be taking necessary steps to keep their title charge moving forward—even if there’s no sign that the ailment is being faked.

Apart from Nunez, who needs to complete a personalised training regimen to be ready for Brighton’s March 31 visit, Liverpool needed to ask Egypt for special permission so that Mohamed Salah could skip the forthcoming internationals.

Since the Reds flew Salah back from Ivory Coast to recover on Merseyside during the Africa Cup of Nations, it has been believed that the club’s relationship with Egypt has become strained. Senior officials at the AXA Centre may have been reluctant to exacerbate the situation further.

At the end of February, Liverpool wrote to the Egypt Football Association to ask that Salah—who was then sidelined due to a hamstring injury—not play in their forthcoming match against New Zealand. It took a long time to be approved, but in the end, the Reds’ top scorer was given what may turn out to be a vital break before a big run-in.

However, in Ibrahima Konate’s situation, Klopp has not been so fortunate. After hobbling out of the 5-1 thumping of Sparta Prague on March 7, the center-back has missed the following three games but appears to be back in the frame of mind to play for France after being called up by Didier Deschamps.

The same pessimists would have wondered if Liverpool could have relied on the defence to skip the forthcoming friendly against Chile and Germany, but Klopp has never been one to follow Ferguson’s lead all those years ago.

Because of the Reds’ exceptional injury luck this season, Klopp may feel compelled to attempt, if not outright adopt, a Ferguson-style strategy for international clearances. However, it appears that the Liverpool manager is not obstructing anyone’s path for the time being.