By Martin Graham
Liverpool boss Arne Slot admitted he cannot give a definite return date for Alisson after the goalkeeper sustained a hamstring problem during Tuesday’s 1-0 Champions League loss against Galatasaray.
A report in The Athletic suggested the 33-year-old might be unavailable for roughly six weeks, which would place his comeback after the mid-November international break.
Slot has already confirmed Alisson will miss Saturday evening’s Premier League match at Chelsea and ruled him out of Brazil’s upcoming fixtures. However, he was unwilling to set a fixed schedule for the player’s rehabilitation.
“It depends on how fast his recovery goes,” Slot explained. “Saturday it’s clear he’s injured, he’s not going to play for Brazil and I would be surprised if he would be there in the first game after the international break. But from there on, sometimes things can go a bit faster or a bit slower. It’s always difficult to say the amount of days and weeks, but for the upcoming games he will not be part of us or the Brazil team.”
Mamardashvili to step in against Chelsea
In Alisson’s absence, summer recruit Giorgi Mamardashvili — signed from Valencia for £29 million — is expected to start at Stamford Bridge.
The Georgian international has largely served as backup since his arrival but will now have an opportunity to feature as Liverpool aim to maintain their position at the top of the Premier League table, despite last weekend’s setback at Crystal Palace.
Ekitike and Chiesa nearing return
There is optimism over Hugo Ekitike and Federico Chiesa, with both players scheduled to take part in training on Friday. If they come through the session without problems, they could be included in the squad for the clash with Chelsea.
