Liverpool face Brighton in the Premier League at lunchtime on Saturday, but Arne Slott is expected to be without a key player.
Liverpool suffer a serious injury to Alisson ahead of their Premier League game against Brighton (Image: (Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images))
Alisson Becker will miss Liverpool’s Premier League game at Brighton & Hove Albion, with Giorgi Mamadashvili expected to take his place in the post. The Brazilian shot-stopper missed the 1-0 Champions League defeat against Galatasaray last Tuesday (March 10) due to a minor muscle problem.
However, he made his comeback on Sunday in a 1-1 Premier League stalemate at home to Tottenham Hotspur. He then featured again on Wednesday as Liverpool overturned their first-leg defeat at Anfield, beating the Turkish team 4-0 and reaching the Champions League quarter-finals.
Despite this, Alisson was left out of the Reds’ traveling party this weekend as it was deemed too risky to use a first-choice goalkeeper at the Amex Stadium.
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This means Mamadashvili is ready to play in a match that could be crucial for the reigning champions’ ambitions of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Alisson recently signed a 12-month contract extension with Liverpool, but physical problems have plagued the goalkeeper in recent seasons.
He has missed a total of 20 games in the last two Premier League seasons, during which time he was replaced by Caoihin Kelleher.
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Mamadashvili has also played in five league games this season since Alisson complained of a muscle strain in September’s 1-0 group stage defeat to Galatasaray in the Champions League. Alisson will reportedly be replaced by Hugo Souza in Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad ahead of the upcoming March international break.
As Slott has confirmed, Mohamed Salah also wants to be substituted against Galatasaray, and an update has also been provided on Joe Gomez, who is expected to miss the game against Brighton.
“It’s unusual[for him to be injured]. I think you’re expecting a result, so he’s out tomorrow. It’s good news for Liverpool, because we’re going into the international break, but it’s bad news for Egypt, he can’t go there.”
Mohamed Salah absent from Brighton vs. Liverpool due to injury (Image: Getty Images)
“I hope that with what Mo has shown so far, he can recover faster than other players. He takes great care of his body, so history has shown that he will be able to come back faster than other players. There are only two weeks left until we go again.”
As for Gomez, he added: “Joe wasn’t available. We tried to postpone it (the Gala game) as long as possible. We told him that maybe a miracle could happen, if we needed extra time. He could be available tomorrow – maybe – but he won’t start.”
Alexander Isak, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni will be out for this match, although the former is expected to return after the March international break.
