Jeremie Frimpong takes swipe at Spurs 'sore loser' as Liverpool star causes immediate stir

Arne Slot's Liverpool squad could be forgiven for not being in the best spirits heading into the October international break. Enduring a a week they'd rather forget, the Reds suffered three back-to-back losses against Crystal Palace, Galatasaray and Chelsea.

Both domestic defeats were a result of last-minute winners, rubbing salt in the wounds for Liverpool as they lost their top spot in the Premier League table to Arsenal.

However, it seems that a change of scenery could do wonders for the majority of Slot's squad, with 15 of his senior players called up for international duty as the Premier League takes its latest pause.

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They all seem to be in high spirits too, if the photos and videos shared by their national teams are anything to go by, as the Reds look to bounce back from their club-level woes.

Florian Wirtz is putting in extra hours on the training pitch with Germany, hoping to kickstart his career with the Reds, while Andy Robertson has shrugged off injury worries, after getting a knock against Chelsea, to join full training with Scotland, reports the Liverpool Echo.

The first day of international matches was on Wednesday, with Mohamed Salah having a day to remember. And with several of his Liverpool colleagues also set to play in the coming days, we take a look at how Liverpool's internationals are getting on during the break....

Frimpong tells 'sore loser' Spurs star to 'have respect'

Liverpool's Jeremie Frimpong may not have had the smoothest start on the pitch, but he's certainly making waves off it. The Dutch international has quickly become a popular presence in the dressing room.

He's also a hit with his fellow countrymen and couldn't resist a playful jab at Tottenham Hotspur's Xavi Simons during a recent training session with the Netherlands squad.

A video shared by the Dutch national team on social media shows Frimpong participating in a keepy-uppy rondo with several team-mates, including Simons and Liverpool's Cody Gakpo.

Frimpong had to be quick to keep the ball in play after a volleyed pass from Simons, even colliding with the cameraman in the process. The rondo broke down when the ball returned to the Spurs midfielder.

Simons voiced his frustration before the rondo restarted, but after failing again, he ran off with the ball and kicked it high into the air.

"See, this is what losers do, bro!" Frimpong quipped to the cameras. "Sore loser, bro. Why did he kick the ball away?".

Addressing Simons, he added: "Hey, have respect, have respect bro!".

Both Frimpong and Simons could be chosen to start on the right wing for the Netherlands in their upcoming World Cup qualifier against Malta on Thursday night, followed by a match against Finland on Sunday.

Ekitike makes waves and catches eye of two-time World Cup winner

Hugo Ekitike has made a flying start to life at Liverpool, netting five times in his opening 10 matches, and will be eager to carry that momentum into the international break with France.

The forward earned his first and second caps for his nation - both coming off the bench - during the previous international window, but may now be in contention for a starting berth.

The 23-year-old has been given the number nine jersey and with Kylian Mbappe facing a fitness battle, plus several of France's regular attacking options missing from the squad due to their own injury concerns, Ekitike stands as a genuine candidate for a more significant role.

He has certainly boosted his chances during training too, continuing to catch the eye of boss Didier Deschamps, who stands as one of just three individuals to have lifted the World Cup as both a player and a manager.

The France national team shared footage of a finishing exercise on their social media platforms, with Ekitike shown slotting home efforts from both his right and left boot into the corner.

His clinical finishing drew admiration from Deschamps, as the two-time World Cup winner could be heard remarking: "Oh yes, that's what happens when you're two-footed!"

France welcome Azerbaijan in their latest World Cup qualifying fixture on Friday before making the trip to Iceland on Monday.

Salah breaks silence on social media after making history

During Liverpool's charge towards the Premier League title last season, a post-match selfie from Mohamed Salah was a common sight. Fans certainly enjoyed these small glimpses into the celebrations of the soon-to-be champions after each victory, with Salah often pictured alongside his fellow goal scorers.

However, this trend hasn't continued into this season, with Salah not quite reaching the lofty heights of last year. As a result, his performances have come under scrutiny.

Liverpool's star forward has been quiet on the pitch and social media since their 3-2 triumph over Atletico Madrid three weeks ago. However, that all changed when Salah made history for Egypt in their World Cup qualifier on Wednesday evening.

Salah was instrumental in Egypt's 3-0 win over Djibouti, scoring two goals - one a smart finish in a one-on-one situation in the first half, and the other a sublime lob over the keeper in the second half.

These goals have propelled Salah to the top of the African all-time leading goalscorer list in World Cup qualification, surpassing the likes of Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto'o and Islam Slimani with a total of 20 goals.

The 33-year-old is now preparing for his second World Cup appearance, having also scored the decisive goal that secured Egypt's place in the 2018 tournament in Russia.

Despite his previous World Cup experience being marred by an injury inflicted by Sergio Ramos, Salah will be hoping to make amends as Egypt gear up for only their fourth-ever World Cup appearance.

The Pharaohs were understandably ecstatic after the final whistle, and Salah broke his social media silence by sharing a celebratory picture of the squad in the dressing room, accompanied by a heart emoji.

Konate moves closer to fitness comeback

Despite suffering a quad injury during Liverpool's loss to Chelsea, Ibrahima Konate remains with the France squad, suggesting the issue is only minor.

The centre-back has been spotted back in team training, but he has also been seen working individually alongside Mbappe as France carefully manage the pair.

L'Equipe reports that the duo trained alongside the group "without any apparent discomfort at the start of the session," during France's Wednesday session, before proceeding with their individual training.

While it's still uncertain if Konate will be fit to face Azerbaijan on Friday, Liverpool can take comfort in the fact that his injury sustained at Stamford Bridge wasn't severe.

Bradley vs Wirtz round II

Conor Bradley is set to face off against his Liverpool colleague Florian Wirtz in Northern Ireland's second match of the October international break, when they welcome Germany on Monday.

In their previous encounter, Wirtz emerged victorious, netting a spectacular free-kick as Germany claimed a 3-1 victory.

Before the clash with Germany, Northern Ireland will first play host to Slovakia on Friday.

And having witnessed their upcoming opponents already defeat the Germans in World Cup qualification, the Liverpool player isn't taking anything lightly.

"Windsor Park will probably be at its best over the two games so we have to manage the expectations of that," he stated ahead of the double-header. "I've a lot of faith in the team. We have a really good group of players".

"We feel more prepared than we did for the last Euros campaign. We've a bit more experience now and hopefully that will help us.

"I was surprised they (Slovakia) beat Germany, I think everyone was. Germany are a top team and not many sides have beaten them in the last few years.

"Slovakia are a very good team with good players, but we have some good players too, so we're looking forward to it."

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