Alexis Mac Allister has returned to Liverpool training following the World Cup and provided supporters with an early preview of what his recent hair transplant might eventually produce.

The Argentina midfielder shared a picture of himself sporting long, slicked-back hair after returning for pre-season.

There was one minor issue.

It wasn’t actually his hair.

The image had been edited as a joke following Mac Allister’s recent hair transplant, with the midfielder writing: “Back in training. The implant took effect quickly, I’m just like you,” before tagging Liverpool teammate Dominik Szoboszlai.

The comparison was difficult to miss.

With longer hair, sunglasses and the general appearance of someone who had undergone a fairly substantial summer transformation, Mac Allister suddenly looked remarkably like Szoboszlai.

Supporters soon identified several other possibilities.

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius was mentioned, while another comparison suggested WWE wrestler Dolph Ziggler.

Some were more concerned by the apparent speed of the medical procedure.

“Wait a minute, he didn’t have hair all through the World Cup, so how did he grow this much hair that fast?” one supporter asked.

The answer is that he didn’t.

Mac Allister genuinely underwent a hair transplant following Argentina’s World Cup campaign, having previously joked about his thinning hair and the possibility of getting the procedure.

His actual hair remains considerably shorter as he begins pre-season preparations with Liverpool.

The longer version was simply a preview.

At the moment, the final result appears to be somewhere between Dominik Szoboszlai, Loris Karius and Dolph Ziggler.