Arne Slot admits ‘uncommon’ Liverpool setback as he offers lifeline to out-of-favour star

Alisson will miss a number of important games and will not be anticipated back for Liverpool until after the upcoming international break in November. This will give Caoimhin Kelleher a great opportunity to make an impression in goal.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has admitted Alisson’s injury is “uncommon”

With Alisson expected to miss the next month due to his injury, Liverpool manager Arne Slot acknowledged that the Brazilian goalie’s condition is “uncommon” and attributed the increased number of injuries to the game’s demanding schedule.

After winning six of their first seven games, Slot’s team will play Chelsea on Sunday in a crucial matchup as the Reds look to maintain their top spot in the Premier League. However, they suffered a major setback when their starting goalkeeper was substituted during their most recent 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace.

Since Alisson isn’t anticipated to return until after the upcoming international break in November, he will be absent from crucial matches against Arsenal, Red Bull Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, and Aston Villa, giving Caoimhin Kelleher a great opportunity to shine in goal.

Although Slot is baffled by the injury, he thinks Liverpool’s hectic schedule of games has greatly aided the issue.

Prior to the Chelsea match, Slot remarked, “It’s unusual for goalkeepers.” “I experienced the same thing at Feyenoord—muscle injuries in my goalie. We are investigating what the causes may be. We have attempted to be cautious since the likelihood of getting another increases after you get one.

“But also it’s a good chance to explain again, there were some things about me not disliking 12:30 kick-offs but if you play Wednesday evening, it might be disadvantage to play 12:30pm after Champions League game…the chances for injury go up.”

As he continues to rotate his team and try to compete for trophies on several fronts, he also gave Kelleher a lifeline by indicating that he might have chosen Kelleher to play additional games anyhow.

“This is something we must consider. Though you can’t alter all 11 players, looking back, I might have gone with Caoimh [Kelleher] instead of Ali. I have 99.9% confidence that the Champions League teams in Holland get more sleep to prepare. That is not typical in this part of England.

Vitezslav Jaros and Harvey Davies, a rookie goalkeeper, are also available to Liverpool, although Kelleher will start until Alisson returns.

The Irishman began both the 2022 and 2024 Carabao Cup finals, which Liverpool won on penalties, demonstrating his reliability as a starter.

Kelleher played 90 minutes in each of the Republic of Ireland’s games against Finland and Greece during this international break. He has already played twice for the Reds this season, giving up only one goal in a 5-1 Carabao Cup victory over West Ham.