The international break hadn’t even started in earnest when Arne Slot received the injury news he had been dreading. Alisson Becker’s hamstring tear suffered at Crystal Palace last Saturday means the Liverpool goalkeeper will be sidelined for at least the next six weeks.
Caomhin Kelleher, who has already deputised for Alisson twice this season and played 26 times last term, will again be expected to step in between the sticks in the Brazilian’s absence.
Kelleher, though, was missing at Selhurst Park through illness, which meant third-choice shot-stopper Vitezslav Jaros stepped off the bench for his senior Liverpool debut in the closing stages.
Alisson will miss a raft of important games after the international break, with Liverpool entertaining Chelsea, Brighton and Aston Villa along with making a trip to Arsenal in the Premier League, travelling to RB Leipzig and at home to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, and journeying to Brighton for a League Cup tie.
And with his latest spell on the sidelines renewing scrutiny of his increasingly recurring hamstring problems, some supporters have pondered whether Liverpool should look into bringing in early Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia having in August agreed a £30million transfer of the goalkeeper for next summer.
There is, though, one very good reason why the player won’t be leaving Valencia any time soon – he isn’t on loan from Liverpool.
The deal struck by the Reds with the Spanish side means the Georgia international only officially moves to Anfield at the end of this season. Until then, he remains a Valencia player.
Kelleher, then, will remain Alisson’s deputy for the remainder of the campaign and will continue to fill in for the Brazilian should he suffer any more injury setbacks in the New Year.
Mamardashvili’s time at Liverpool will come – just not until next summer.
