When does Liverpool play again after international break with three key fixtures up next

There is no doubt that Liverpool will need to be at its very best to make next season’s Champions League with Tottenham and Newcastle United currently ahead of the Reds in the race for the top four. Jürgen Klopp’s side faces three major tests in their first week back after the international break.

Following a campaign of mixed fortunes, Liverpool currently finds itself in sixth position in the Premier League table after 26 games, with the Reds now in dire need of consistency in the final third of the season if they are to save face by reaching Europe’s top continental competition.

The fact that the Reds sat out the final round of fixtures ahead of the international break probably sums up a pretty disappointing season, with the game against Fulham postponed so Marco Silva’s side could face Manchester United in the FA Cup, a competition Liverpool was knocked out of by Brighton in mid-January. Liverpool will end the season trophyless, with a top-four place now all that is left to play for after a 6-2 aggregate loss against Real Madrid in the Champions League round-of-16.

With twelve games to go, the Reds must now consistently find their groove. Despite a deflating 1-0 loss against Bournemouth in their last Premier League outing before this week’s internationals, Liverpool had experienced a relative upsurge in form in the previous five games to this — winning five and drawing one — which one may be surprised to learn puts them third in the form table for the past six games.

The Reds only have twelve players on international duty this time around and so they should be fresh for the start of what will be a pivotal week upon their return to action on April 1 away against Manchester City. If the trip to the Etihad wasn’t enough, Liverpool head to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea just three days later on April 4, before taking on champions-elect Arsenal at home on April 9.

Clearly that week will be majorly important for Liverpool with Klopp’s side needing to take points to keep the dream of a top-four finish alive. If the Reds are to lose all three of those games, one would surmise that the likelihood of achieving the objective becomes extremely remote, unless challengers Spurs and Newcastle inexplicably go on poor runs of their own.

Of course, Liverpool has had Champions League games to contend with up until now and perhaps a reduced schedule may give the Reds some renewed energy for the run-in. With Spurs still to play at home, there is no doubt that the players will have one eye on remaining in contention going into that crunch fixture.

Liverpool will be hoping that the players who missed out on international call-ups this week have had a much-needed physical and mental break following what has been an intense season so far. They will know only too well what is on the line in the final third of the season.